Strength is one of the strongest indicators of longevity (no pun intended). Said another way, if you have a certain amount of muscle mass, your odds of living longer are better.
But why is this?
Well, there are a number of reasons why muscle mass and strength contribute to longer and healthier lifespan.
Foremost, muscle contributes to better metabolic health. A pound of muscle burns 2-3x more calories than a pound of fat. Muscle is also more metabolically active meaning it is better at moving sugar into “usable” places like out of your bloodstream and into your muscles. This ultimately leads to a lower risk of obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
Muscle also allows you to be active. How long do you want to be able to lift that luggage overhead to travel? Even more basic than this is maintaining your independence, which is simply your ability to take care of yourself in your own home.
While this all sounds like a distant future issue, what you do TODAY impacts how you live in that future world.
As we age, we lose muscle, to the tune of up to 2% per year. This accelerates as we age; especially for women after 45. Shockingly, falls and fractures are one of the biggest causes of death in those 65 and older. In fact, for those over 65, there is up to a 58% chance of dying within one year of a fracture or break!
Sounds dismal for sure, but there’s some good news! You can build muscle into your 90s! No more “I’m too old” excuses.
So, what can you do to ensure you retain and even build more muscle?
- Strength Train. The obvious choice right? But are you doing enough? It’s not enough to use 5 lbs dumbbells for 20 reps per exercise, when you can handle more. How do you know if a weight is heavy enough? One quick test is to find a weight where you struggle to do the 7th rep in a set of 10. This level of weight will create enough stress to break down your muscle, so that it rebuilds itself stronger. If you’re still not sure, you can always ask a Mercedes Club trainer 😊
- Supplements. Certain nutrition supplements are helpful when trying to build muscle. Amino acids (BCAAs), Creatine and others can help load your bloodstream with nutrients that are necessary for building muscle.
- Peptides! Yes, there are peptides that are explicitly known to build muscle. Sermorelin and Tesamorelin are two that fit this description. Both of these peptides are in a class of “hGh secretagogues”. They stimulate muscle growth by triggering the body's natural production of growth hormone (GH), which in turn promotes protein synthesis and muscle cell development, leading to increased muscle mass and faster recovery after exercise. If you want to learn more, stay tuned for our Peptide Info Night planned for February.
The most important thing to remember in all of this is that, while having muscle helps you look more attractive, it's also one of the most essential parts of your physique to preserve for living your best and longest life! Let’s get lifting!