These foods and exercises will help you defy sarcopenia and stay strong and lean.
Sounds like a little-known Mediterranean island-but it’s actually the medical term for age-related muscle loss.
And it happens, in varying degrees, to all of us.
Muscle strength also declines by 12 to 15 percent per decade.
In a separate study, even greater losses occurred in older adults after just ten days.
(Eek is right!)
“The parallel we often draw is with osteoporosis.
But even if you start later in life you’re free to make a big difference.”
And that (finally!)
Oh, and a lot of the advice involveseating!
What could be better?
Dig in:
1.
And one amino acid, called leucine, is particularly good at turning on your body’s muscle-building machinery.
Dairy products-especially those high in whey protein like milk and Greek yogurt-are excellent sources of leucine.
(And, no, more isn’t better.
The rest will be stored as fat or, um, get flushed.)
What does “30 grams” mean in real-life terms?
Eat Your Omega-3 Fats
These essential fatty acids are known to boost everything from heart health to mood.
And a growing body of research has also linked omega-3s with muscle maintenance.
Inflammation in the body causes muscle to break down, and omega-3s are-you guessed it-anti-inflammatory powerhouses.
Foods like salmon, walnuts and omega-3-enriched eggs give you a nutritional twofer: you get omega-3sandmuscle-building amino acids.
Flaxseeds also give you a hit of omega-3s.
Note: Usually supplements are meant to be a nutritional safety net.
About 20 to 30 minutes of resistance training, three times a week, is what’s often recommended.
But research shows that one to two short resistance workouts each week can improve muscle mass and strength.
The marriage of protein and exercise gives you added benefits.
But grabbing a high-protein snack, particularly milk or whey protein, post-workout can be beneficial as well.
Get Your Heart Pumping Too
Yep, cardio is an absolute must-primarily for muscle maintenance.
Cardio enhances blood flow, as well, including the flow of nutrients inside the muscle.
