Not Anti-ageing but Ageing well - Part 1

Muscle Metamorphosis: The Counterintuitive Path to Midlife Fitness

Part 1:

Muscle Loss is Coming Your Way - Why It Matters Physiologically

As we age, something inevitable happens: muscle loss. If we do nothing and continue living our lives as usual without taking any proactive measures, we can expect our muscles to decrease by 3-5% each decade after turning 30. A quick calculation means a staggering 50% loss by the time we get to 80.

The obvious problems of muscle loss in very old age is frailty, fractures and mobility issues. But why should we care about this muscle decline now in our 40’s and beyond?

That’s because muscle mass is no ordinary tissue— an endocrine organ, it's like a superhero in our body. Playing a vital role in regulating body weight (processing the sugars consumed), managing inflammation, controlling blood sugar spikes, and even supporting cognitive function. A complete multitasker.

In midlife, a lot of things happen that can speed up muscle breakdown. Hormonal changes and stress team up to cause mayhem. Sleep gets disrupted because of lower progesterone, and testosterone and growth hormone levels decrease, making it harder for muscles to grow and stay strong. On top of that, cortisol (the stress hormone) rises due to lower estrogen. Creating a perfect storm of accelerated muscle breakdown.

As our muscles get smaller in this chaotic situation, they struggle to handle glucose and keep it away from our bloodstream. Instead of doing their job, they start storing it as fat, usually in places we don't want it, like our belly and back. Not exactly ideal right?

But this can be fixed, we can actively do something to fight back against muscle loss. In Part 2, we'll discover how our everyday habits might be making the problem worse. And in Part 3, I'll share some practical solutions to keep our muscles strong and healthy. So, read on and get ready to pump those muscles!