It is estimated that over two billion people will be over the age of 65 by 2050 (1). With an ageing population, enhancing function and quality of life is going to be essential.
It is a well-documented fact that ageing is associated with a progressive loss of muscle mass and function, known as sarcopenia. This sarcopenia can lead to reduced function and quality of life, as well as increased risk of falls and metabolic disease (2).
It is not just muscle mass that declines, but also the quality of muscle. Various factors which determine muscle quality such as composition, metabolism, aerobic capacity, insulin resistance, fat infiltration, fibrosis and neural activity may also contribute to the age-related decline in muscle function (1).
Despite this, there are ways in which we can attenuate loss of muscle mass and muscle quality, or even improve upon it as we age.
We are going to look at three ways in which we can alter someone’s lifestyle as they age in order to improve muscle mass, function and quality of life; resistance training, plyometric training, and increases in general physical activity.
Resistance Training
Resistance training (or weight training) has been shown to be effective in attenuating loss of muscle mass during the ageing process, and is effective for improving muscle mass and strength in older adults (3).
Given that the majority of muscle mass lost with age is Type II fast-twitch muscle fibres (2), incorporating resistance training seems like an obvious solution given that it has been shown to induce large increases in Type II muscle fibres (2). Resistance training also has a myriad of health benefits which extend beyond that of just improving muscle mass. It can impact other health various markers, with prolonged resistance training leading to reductions in high blood pressure, risk for heart disease, and risk for metabolic disease (diabetes, obesity), to name a few.
Despite the known benefits, resistance training is still underutilised and under appreciated in the ageing population. The knowledge and education levels is not be where it needs to be. I have found personally from working with older individuals, in the small percentage which are performing some form of resistance training it isn't consistent and doesn’t follow a progressive overload style of training, which would likely be most beneficial.
Implementing two days per week of full-body resistance training focusing on hypertrophy (muscle building) rep ranges (2-3 sets of 8-12 reps) working close to failure and targeting all the major muscle groups would likely be of large benefit to the ageing population, especially if they are currently inactive. This would have the potential to improve muscle mass and function, quality of life, self-efficacy, and reduce the risk of numerous diseases.
Plyometric Training
Plyometric exercises refer to exercises which utilise the stretch shortening cycle (SSC), involving a rapid eccentric (lengthening) contraction followed by an explosive concentric (shortening) contraction.
Plyometric training is generally incorporated in an athlete's programme to improve jump performance, muscle power and rapid force production (4), but it can also be utilised in an ageing population to aim for the same benefits.
Plyometric training has been shown to be safe in older adults (4) and results in numerous benefits related to muscular performance, functional, and health-related outcome measures (4). Taken together, the implementation of this kind of training into your weekly routine has serious potential to improve your function, reduce risk of falls and enhance your self-efficacy.
Plyometric training can also be extremely time efficient, with as little as 10 jumps a day initially required to have significant effects in non-athletes (5).
An initial introduction might be something as simple as incorporating two minutes of skipping into your routine every second day, gradually progressing to higher level activities.
Increasing General Physical Activity Levels
A key reason for age-related decrease in muscle mass, is the associated decrease in physical activity as we age. ‘Use it or lose it’ is a phrase which is thrown around often, but in this case, it is most definitely true. If you don’t perform physical activity regularly, you will have rapid declines in muscle mass and function.
Retirement is generally seen as a time where we ‘rest’, but it should also be a time where we invest in our own physical health to ensure longevity and increase both health and lifespan, allowing us to enjoy our days with high levels of physical function.
Increasing your general physical activity levels doesn’t have to be structured. It can just be doing things you like – whether this is swimming, cycling, golfing, or meeting up with friends for walks.
The biggest gains are got going from doing nothing to doing something.
Increasing our physical activity levels is not just beneficial for maintaining muscle mass and function. Some other major benefits include reduced risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, obesity, falls (and associated negative sequalae), cognitive impairments, and osteoporosis (6).
Aiming for roughly 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity physical activity per week is recommended, which would involve five days of moderate activity for at least 30 minutes.
However, if you are someone who is sedentary, this may seem unrealistic initially.
Start slow, form a habit, and gradually build on that over time when it becomes sustainable.
Again, doing something is always better than doing nothing.
Conclusion
Resistance training, plyometric training and increases in general physical activity can have massive effects on your overall quality of life and function as you age. They are cost efficient, effective, and don’t take a long time to perform.
If you have the means to do so, try to incorporate some of these training techniques into your current routine, with the help of an exercise professional. Share the importance of these with your parents and/or grandparents who may not have access to the wealth of information that is available today, it can be life changing for a lot of people.
If you would like some personalised and professional advice or help on how to age well and get a programme tailored to your needs, get in touch through the website or email us at info@healthandperformanceacademy.ie
References
McGregor RA, Cameron-Smith D, Poppitt SD. It is not just muscle mass: a review of muscle quality, composition and metabolism during ageing as determinants of muscle function and mobility in later life. Longev Heal. 2014 Dec 1;3(1):9.
Nilwik R, Snijders T, Leenders M, Groen BBL, van Kranenburg J, Verdijk LB, et al. The decline in skeletal muscle mass with aging is mainly attributed to a reduction in type II muscle fiber size. Exp Gerontol. 2013 May 1;48(5):492–8.
Peterson MD, Rhea MR, Sen A, Gordon PM. Resistance exercise for muscular strength in older adults: A meta-analysis. Ageing Res Rev. 2010 Jul 1;9(3):226–37.
Vetrovsky T, Steffl M, Stastny P, Tufano JJ. The Efficacy and Safety of Lower-Limb Plyometric Training in Older Adults: A Systematic Review. Sports Med. 2019 Jan 1;49(1):113–31.
Kishimoto K, Lynch RP, Reiger J, Yingling VR. Short-Term Jump Activity on Bone Metabolism in Female College-Aged Nonathletes. J Sports Sci Med. 2012 Mar 1;11(1):31–8.
McPhee JS, French DP, Jackson D, Nazroo J, Pendleton N, Degens H. Physical activity in older age: perspectives for healthy ageing and frailty. Biogerontology. 2016 Jun 1;17(3):567–80.