Why Exercise

Why Exercise

This is a concise overview of sarcopenia, its symptoms, and the importance of exercise in preventing or delaying its onset. I will then provide some of my personal experiences and statistics with regard sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia is the progressive age related decrease of muscle mass, strength and function (Charly, 2022). Sarcopenia result in decreased physical performance, difficulties with mobility, and an increased risk of falling and adverse outcomes(Charly, 2022; Sayer & Cruz-Jentoft, 2022). This risk is increased in older people (Sayer & Cruz-Jentoft, 2022). Sarcopenia begin in the fourth decade of life and accelerate after the age of sixty. Although age of onset is not well-defined, immobility of any form accelerate onset and progression (Sayer & Cruz-Jentoft, 2022; Hirsch et al., 2022).

Common symptoms of sarcopenia include muscle weakness, loss of stamina, poor balance and decrease in muscle size (Best Practice, 2023). Multiple physiological mechanisms, including amongst others changes in muscle protein synthesis and neuromuscular function are involved. Genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors combine (Cruz-Jentoft et al., 2019). Sarcopenia can be prevented with the right interventions. Muscle mass is important but muscle function is seen as more important, particularly to maintain physical independence for longer (Carrick-Ranson et al., 2022). Carrick-Ranson et al. (2022) found that older adults who with low muscle function (assessed via sit-to-stand test) alone were at a much greater risk of losing their independence later in life than those with low muscle mass. Improving muscle function with resistance training is comparatively easier than building muscle (Carrick-Ranson et al., 2022). Haase et al (2022) provide a set of recommendations. Regular exercise and specifically resistance training and a protein-rich diet can reduce the complications of sarcopenia in ageing individuals. At least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise and two sessions of resistance training is recommended (Haase et al., 2022). A balanced diet with a good source of protein supplement the training regime and allow enough sleep for recovery.

In conclusion, the debilitating effects of sarcopenia on muscle mass, strength, and function underscore the critical need for proactive interventions, particularly as individuals age. Carrick-Ranson et al.'s (2022) findings emphasize the pivotal role of resistance training in mitigating these risks. By incorporating regular exercise, targeted resistance training, and a protein-rich diet, individuals can proactively address the problems posed by sarcopenia and preserve their physical independence in later stages of life.

References

1. Best Practice. (2023). Sarcopenia. BMJ Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-gb/3000319
2. Carrick-Ranson, G., Howden, E. J., & Levine, B. D. (2022). Exercise in Octogenarians: How Much Is Too Little?. Annual review of medicine, 73, 377–391. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-med-070119-115343
3. Charly, A. T. (2022). Sarcopenia: Definition, Diagnosis and Treatment. Age and Ageing, 51(10), afac220. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afac220
4. Cruz-Jentoft, A. J., Bahat, G., Bauer, J., Boirie, Y., Bruyère, O., Cederholm, T., … & Landi, F. (2019). Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age and ageing, 48(1), 16-31. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afy169
5. Haase C B, Brodersen J B, Bülow J. Sarcopenia: early prevention or overdiagnosis? BMJ 2022; 376 :e052592 doi:10.1136/bmj-2019-052592
6. Hirsch, C. H., Sommers, L., Olsen, A., Mullen, L., & Winograd, C. H. (1990). The natural history of functional morbidity in hospitalized older patients. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 38(12), 1296-1303. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.1990.tb03467.x
7. Sayer, A. T., & Cruz-Jentoft, A. (2022). Sarcopenia definition, diagnosis and treatment: consensus is growing. Age and Ageing, 51(10), afac220. https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afac220

My personal experience

Or - Why I exercise

This is a personal view of my muscle strength, and based on personal experience, observation and extensive reading on the subject. As such, it does not have references, but serves as a base line for future observation. As this is my own experience, there is a possibility of bias. The various bench marks should provide an objective measure of the retention of muscle strength.

turned 60 earlier this year and has been doing Crossfit consistently for close on 10 years now. Before starting Crossfit, I was active, but not doing any structured exercise. According to all research, I should be loosing strength. Is this the case? This is a selection of bench marks and my progression over time since I started doing CrossFit:

My best time for a half marathon row was set on 31 December 2020 in a time of 2:25:27. I am also a member of the CrossFit Pretoria 500 club. This is the time to do 500 air squats. My initial time was 22:40 minutes achieved on 26 December 2016. In 2017 I improved this time to 18:45 and again in 2018 to 18:00. In 2020, I tried a strategy to avoid the extreme delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and slowed my pace to 23:35. This did not work and in 2022 I used a different strategy to complete in exactly 20 minutes. This also did not work for the prevention of DOMS. I am able to plank for 2 minutes.

In general, I have improved over the last decade with regards retention of muscle strength. As muscle mass is difficult to measure, I can not make any pronouncements in this regard, but assume that the various measures are a good proxy. I have also retained my ability to sit and stand at a constant pace for far longer than is seen in early onset sarcopenia. And core strength compares well with other athletes training with me.

This is anecdotal, but from my perspective exercise seems to confirm the research. I will continue to monitor these bench marks, and hope to at the very least keep my performance stable, if not improving.

Also read

• Luks, H. (2023, July 15). Muscle mass, strength and longevity. Howard J. Luks, MD.