STOP Losing Muscle As You Age (IMPORTANT!)

As you age, it is natural to start to lose muscle mass. But did you know, the rate of loss of muscle and strength beyond the age of even 30 starts to occur much faster than you would have thought. The good news is, there is something you can do about it to slow, if not completely stop, the mechanism from wasting away your muscles year after passing year. Build Muscle at Any Age Here - http://athleanx.com/x/muscle-at-any-age Subscribe to this channel here - http://bit.ly/2b0coMW Here are the ways that muscle is lost, and what you can do about it. 1. Protein Dose–Response Curve Key Studies: Cuthbertson et al., FASEB J 2005; Moore et al., J Gerontol 2015 When you’re in your 20s, a moderate amount of protein, about 20 to 25 grams at a meal, is usually enough to max out muscle protein synthesis. But as you age, this response becomes blunted. In fact, landmark studies show that the same 20 grams that worked in young adults barely moves the needle in older adults. To overcome this, older lifters need closer to 35 to 40 grams of high-quality protein per meal. 2. mTOR Signaling Pathway Blunting Key Studies: Breen & Phillips, Nutrients 2011; Dickinson et al., AJCN 2013 mTOR is the master growth switch in your muscles. When you lift weights or eat protein, signals converge on this pathway, activating downstream proteins to turn on muscle protein synthesis. In young adults, this system is highly responsive. But in older adults, the same stimulus results in weaker activation. Older muscles need stronger inputs - more protein and higher training intensity. 3. Leucine Threshold Concept Key Studies: Katsanos et al., AJCN 2006; Yang et al., AJCN 2012 Leucine is the key amino acid that flips on mTOR, and aging muscle has a higher leucine ‘threshold.’ For a younger lifter, 2 grams of leucine may be enough to activate muscle protein synthesis. For older adults, that threshold often rises to 3 or 4 grams. Katsanos showed that when older adults were given extra leucine with their protein, their anabolic response improved significantly. 4. Effective Reps & Exercise Intensity Key Studies: Kumar et al., J Appl Physiol 2009; Morton et al., Front Physiol 2015 One of the most overlooked factors in aging muscle is how you train. Kumar’s study showed that when older adults lifted lighter weights, they barely stimulated muscle protein synthesis. But when the load was heavy enough, or when they pushed close to failure, the difference between young and old practically disappeared. That’s because effective reps, those last few challenging ones are what recruit the high-threshold muscle fibers responsible for growth. 5. Reduced Satellite Cell Activity Key Studies: Kadi et al., FASEB J 2004; Verdijk et al., J Gerontol 2014 Satellite cells are the repair and growth engines of muscle. They live on the outside of muscle fibers, ready to activate when damage occurs. In young people, resistance training sparks a big increase in satellite cell activity, they multiply, fuse to fibers, and support hypertrophy. But studies by Verdijk and Kadi have shown that older adults not only have fewer satellite cells overall, but the ones they have are less responsive to training. 6. Increased Inflammation & Oxidative Stress Key Studies: Petersen et al., J Clin Invest 2003; Ferrucci & Fabbri, Nat Rev Cardiol 2018 As we age, our bodies enter a state called ‘inflammaging’ (chronic, low-grade inflammation). Add in more oxidative stress, and the muscle environment becomes less anabolic.The good news is that lifestyle factors, a diet rich in antioxidants, omega-3 supplementation, stress reduction, and regular exercise can help. 7. Hormonal Decline with Age Key Studies: Harman et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2001; Veldhuis et al., JCEM 2005 Hormones are the background music for muscle growth and with age, the volume steadily fades. Testosterone declines by about 1% per year after age 30, growth hormone pulses are smaller, and IGF-1 levels fall. Lower anabolic hormones mean the environment is less favorable for building muscle, even if training and nutrition are on point. Resistance training itself can increase hormonal sensitivity. 8. Reduced Blood Flow & Nutrient Delivery Even if you eat the perfect protein meal, the amino acids still have to get to the muscle. That requires blood flow. Rasmussen and Phillips noted that older adults often have reduced endothelial function. Fujita confirmed this by showing that after a protein-rich meal, younger adults saw a big increase in muscle blood flow and amino acid delivery, while older adults had a blunted response. For step by step solutions to each of these problems make sure to watch this video and for more science based fitness and health videos be sure to subscribe to our channel here via the link above. For a complete workout program and meal plan that can help you build muscle at any age, be sure to visit athleanx.com and get the ATHLEAN-X Training System. No guesswork. Just Results.