Behind our epidemic of chronic disease (i.e., heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, etc.) is one that gets little attention. Muscle loss, otherwise known as Sarcopenia, affects approximately one out of every two adults over 50.[1] Beginning in our late 30's, we lose approximately ½ pounds of muscle each year and gain at least that much fat. By the time we reach 50, the rate of muscle loss doubles. The weakening of America has become the silent pandemic of our time. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued the first-ever Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. These guidelines recommend evidence-based exercise to prevent the progression of chronic illness.[2] Since their release, fitness professionals have been using the guidelines to help adults live better. Despite the attention the guidelines have received, most Americans are still sitting on the sidelines, getting weaker.
To improve the nation's health, the Surgeon General has urged Americans to prioritize daily physical activity.[3] According to Dr. Steven Blair at the University of South Carolina, "As a treatment for chronic disease, physical activity produces significantly better results than drug therapy or surgery – yet costs much less. In other words, living the Strength Training Lifestyle can improve the quality of life while saving you money. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend both aerobic activity and Strength Training. However, most adults don't think of Strength Training as an essential health habit. Given the medical advice of the 20th century, this is not surprising.
When Dr. Kenneth Cooper of the Cooper Institute wrote his groundbreaking book Aerobics in 1968, he acknowledged that despite the progress made in exercise physiology, we still have a lot to learn.[4] The next twenty years generated a mountain of research that turned the field of exercise physiology upside down. In 1991, Dr. Cooper wrote, The Strength Connection: How to Build Strength and Improve the Quality of Your Life. In contrast to his first book, The Strength Connection emphasized the functional and health benefits of Strength Training![5]
Until recently, medical professionals have overlooked the connection between muscle loss and inactivity.[6] Muscle loss weakens muscles and reduces their ability to use oxygen. In other words, the more muscle you lose, the more difficult it is to be active. An example of this muscle-activity connection is walking speed and mortality rates. Numerous studies have shown the slower you walk, the more likely you are to die! According to Michelle Eslami, MD, a Geriatrician at UCLA Health System, "increased walking speed is associated with longevity."[7] As surprising as this is to some, it makes sense. Sarcopenia is strongly associated with inactivity and chronic disease.[7] Unfortunately, many Americans view slowing down as a necessary part of aging. It turns out that walking speed is more related to cultural patterns (i.e., habits) than biology. Changing this will require Americans to embrace a stronger is better mindset.
According to Dr. Miriam Nelson, Associate Chief of the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, "Muscle is the absolute centerpiece for being healthy, vital, and independent as we grow older."[8] Experts agree that adding Strength Training to your lifestyle can reverse metabolic aging. At the 2015 REX Conference, Dr. James Fisher, Senior Lecturer on Sports Conditioning and Fitness at Solent University, presented research demonstrating an inverse relationship between muscle mass and mortality.[9] In this case, the more muscle you have, the less likely you are to die. Dr. Fisher summarized the research by stating, "It's hard to kill strong people." If your living the Strength Training Lifestyle, keep doing what you're doing. If you're not, it's time to get off the sidelines!
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Stay Strong,
Richard J. Wolff, RDN
References
1. Janssen I, Heymsfield SB, Ross R. Low relative skeletal muscle mass
(Sarcopenia) in older persons is associated with functional impairment and physical
disability. J Am Geriatr Soc. (2002).
2. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf
3. The Surgeon Generals Report on Physical Activity and Health. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/406551
4. Cooper, K. 1968. AEROBICS. New York, NY. Bantam Books.
5. Cooper, K. 1991. THE STRENGTH CONNECTION, How to Build Strength and Improve the Quality of Your Life. Minnetonka, MN. Chronimed Pub.
6. Exercise is Medicine: A Global Health Initiative. https://www.exerciseismedicine.org/
7. Healthy Years, UCLA Division of Geriatrics: Vol.10, No. 2, 2012.
8. Nelson, M. 2008. Strong Women Stay Slim. New York, NY. Bantam Books.
9. Scientific Advances in Resistance Training. James Fisher, Ph.D. 2015, REX Conference, Minneapolis MN.