March 2020 – Solid To The Core

March 16, 2020January 19, 2022

It’s never too late to start exercising

Older people who have never taken part in sustained exercise programs have the same ability to build muscle mass as highly trained master athletes of a similar age, according to new research at the University of Birmingham.

Published in Frontiers in Physiology, researchers in the University of Birmingham’s School of Sport and Exercise Science compared muscle-building ability in two groups of older men. The first group was classed as ‘master athletes’ — people in their 70s and 80s who are lifelong exercisers and still competing at top levels in their sport. In the second were healthy individuals of a similar age, who had never participated in structured exercise programs.

The researchers had expected that the master athletes would have an increased ability to build muscle due to their superior levels of fitness over a prolonged period of time. In fact, the results showed that both groups had an equal capacity to build muscle in response to exercise.

The study clearly showed that it doesn’t matter if you haven’t been a regular exerciser throughout your life, you can still derive benefit from exercise whenever you start.

More specific guidance on how individuals can improve their muscle strength can be provided by professionals who specialize in strength and conditioning programs for older adults. Also, I always teach my clients activities that they can perform at home to improve their strength endurance, balance, and core as an adjunct to their written training and fitness program which is designed to help them achieve the goals we set together.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190830082621.htm

March 13, 2020March 13, 2020

Increasing Quality Protein Intake Reduces the Effects of Sarcopenia in Older Adults

The loss of lean muscle mass occurring with advancing age is termed sarcopenia. This condition often leads to a concomitant loss of strength, increased frailty and risk of falls and an overall loss of functional independence in older adults..

Muscle protein balance is a dynamic process and is the difference between the body’s ability to make muscle protein versus the rate at which muscle protein breaks down.

It has been observed through clinical studies that older adults are more resistant to the production of muscle mass or what is referred to as resistance to the anabolic response. (the replacement of muscle). The loss of this equilibrium leads to the loss of muscle mass, and this is a major factor in the development of sarcopenia.

This is part of the aging process. The good news is that recent studies have investigated interventions to overcome this anabolic resistance. In particular,

Combining a resistance Training program with increased Quality Protein intake restored the anabolic (muscle-building response) in older men. Recent studies have confirmed the same in older women.

.The present evidence strongly suggests that the loss of lean tissue in the elderly is exacerbated by low dietary protein intake.

As such, protein supplementation may prove to be an effective approach to delay the loss of muscle mass with age and has led to calls for the recommended daily intake of protein to be increased for the older population.

The Conclusion

The present study indicates that a protein intake of 0.75g/ lb of body weight per day has the most beneficial effects in regard to preventing sarcopenia and weakness in conjunction with a total body resistance training program

So, if you weigh 150lb, you should be ingesting 110- 125g of quality protein a day. 100lbs; 70-80g per day.

I always recommend to my older clients that they supplement their diet in the mornings with a ready to drink (RTD) protein such as Boost® or Ensure® that supplies quality Protein and adequate micronutrients as an effective anti-aging supplement. There are also vegetarian alternatives in this category.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25826683

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21529326

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30036990

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30475969

March 12, 2020January 19, 2022

Reducing Hip Flexor Pain and improving Hip Function and Range of Motion

If you sit at a desk for hours at a time at your workplace you’re definitely going to feel the tightness and pain over time. This is where “CAR” stretches are highly effective at improving flexibility in the two joints. CAR stands for “Controlled Articular Rotation” They are incorporated into a training program to combat the effects of lifestyles where hours are spent in a seated position. Hip flexion range of motion (ROM) will be severely restricted and Hip CARs can aid in improving ROM in the joint.

These stretches are more dynamic than the usual “static” stretches used to lengthen muscle tissues like a “supine bridge plank”. Cars add mobility (movement ) to the stretch.

These stretches are also employed after a client has been released to exercise after undergoing a hip replacement and subsequent physical therapy.

As a cyclist and an individual who also does a lot of writing (which means I am sitting for a couple of hours at a stretch) I perform these dynamic stretches at home 3 times per week. Also in training programs, I incorporate these with specific resistance (weight) exercises to strengthen the corresponding weak muscle sets to bring the joint into a more balanced tension relationship.

March 9, 2020January 19, 2022

The Effects of Sarcopenia as we age.

Sarcopenia is increasingly defined by both loss of muscle mass and loss of muscle function or strength. Physical inactivity and disease – both highly prevalent in the elderly – are the main contributors to the decline of muscle mass and function. Both resistance (Weight training) and aerobic training have been shown to increase muscle strength and improve physical function.

After middle age, adults lose 3% of their muscle strength every year, on average. This limits their ability to perform many routine activities

Studies have solidly concluded that that resistance weight training leads to significant gains in muscle strength, size, and functional mobility among frail residents of nursing homes up to 96 years of age.

A study of 57 adults aged 65–94 showed that performing resistance exercises three times per week increased muscle strength over 12 weeks. Of course, this is really true of all individuals who enroll in a well planned and goal -oriented fitness program.

So I meet many individuals who know THEY SHOULD GO TO THE GYM. I also know as a full-time caregiver myself that a well-planned fitness and weight management program pays off in terms of increased strength, balance, and mobility.

The key is really motivational. It is a very large percentage of what I do. To keep my clients motivated to achieve established goals that we worked on together.

the loss of skeletal muscle mass with advancing age results in lower basal metabolic rate, weakness, reduced activity levels, decreased bone density, and low-calorie needs. The related increase in body fat is linked to hypertension and abnormal glucose tolerance. Many consequences of sarcopenia are preventable or even reversible. Progressive resistance exercises can produce substantial increases in strength and muscle size, even in the oldest old. For many older individuals exercise represents the safest, least expensive means to lose body fat, decrease blood pressure, improving glucose tolerance, and maintain long-term independence.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28181204

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2342214/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5957062/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8621102

Tom Stratman SNAP Fitness Oakhurst Plaza Seminole, FL 33777 (727) 386-1889