Change is inevitable, especially when it comes to your body. What do you think happens around the third or fourth decade of life? You lose muscle mass among other things. This reduction is seen in other areas, not just with muscle loss. There is good news, however. You can slow down or retard the process with regular bouts of exercise, especially strength training.
Six Muscle and Strength Facts You Should be Aware of
Muscle Loss Can be Slowed. A meta-analysis published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise reviewed 49 studies of men ages 50 to 83 who did regular strength training and found that subjects averaged a 2.5-pound increase in muscle mass.
Maintain Strength Training. Starting around age 30, we begin to lose as much as 3 to 5 percent of your muscle mass per decade.
Women and Exercise. The average women’s maximal strength is about 60 percent compared to the average man. When looking at the upper body, women average 25-55 percent of men’s average strength. The gap closes in the lower body, where women are 70-75 percent as strong as men.
Why You Need to be Strength Training. According to research, individuals who do not strength train lose 5 to 7 pounds of muscle every 10 years. One by-product of this is a reduction in metabolism by about 50 calories a day. The loss of muscle becomes more pronounced as we continue to age. By the time we reach age 70, the muscular system has experienced a 40 percent loss of muscle tissue and a 30 percent decrease in strength.
Strength Training Decreases Abdominal Fat. Fat stored around the abdomen, especially visceral fat, is considered an increased risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Regular strength training has been reported to reduce both abdominal and total body fat.
Can Manage Diabetes. Strength training may lower your risk of developing diabetes and can help those those have it, manage it better.
Additional Physiological Changes
Changes in Aerobic Capacity. In addition to muscle loss, there is also a loss of aerobic capacity when exercise is absent. Aerobic capacity (maximal oxygen uptake, VO2 max) is reported to decline with age, approximately 10 percent per decade in sedentary individuals older than 25 years of age.
It is great to know that all the hours and hard work put into the gym can help the body in so many other ways. Now that’s a great motivational tool.
References
Davidsen, PK., et al. (2011). Responders to resistance exercise training demonstrate differential regulation of skeletal muscle microRNA expression.
Journal of Applied Physiology.
Shephard, RJ, (1984). Biochemistry in Physical Activity. Springfield, IL: Charles Thomas Publisher.
Doherty TJ, (2001). The influence of aging and sex on skeletal muscle mass and strength. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 4:503-508.
Stay Strong Together
Jefit, named best strength training app by Sports Illustrated, Esquire, GQ, Men’s Health, Greatest, Forbes Health, and many others. We offer a community responsible for 92,000,000 workouts to date! The app, which recently passed 10 million downloads, comes equipped with a customizable workout planner and training log. The app also has ability to track data, offer audio coaching cues, and can share workouts with friends. Visit our members-only Facebook group. Connect with like-minded people, share tips, and advice to help get closer to reaching your fitness goals.
Read the scientific paper published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research using the Jefit app. Also, a great Jefit app review was recently published by MUO that can be found here.
