It’s a well-established fact that, as we get older, we tend to lose some of our physical ability, which is often due to a loss of strength, balance, or both. In many cases, this effect is caused by a condition called sarcopenia, which involves a loss of muscle mass as people age. This issue is quite common among seniors – some estimates place the number of older Americans with the condition at 45% or more – so there are many people out there who want to know more about how sarcopenia works, what causes it, and what they can do to avoid it. To find out more, including what causes sarcopenia, keep reading as the team at ENU – makers of protein shakes for seniors – provides some insight on this important topic.

Identifying and Fighting the Causes of Sarcopenia

At first glance, sarcopenia – the loss of muscle tissue as a person ages – may seem like a straightforward problem, and one familiar to many older adults. However, research has shown that sarcopenia is, in fact, a multifaceted issue, one caused by a number of different biological and environmental factors that tend to build upon one another. Unfortunately, this can make sarcopenia a difficult ailment to beat, but if you can successfully address some of the common causes of sarcopenia, you may be able to halt or even reverse sarcopenia and the age-related loss of muscle mass. Below, we’ll look at some of the biggest causes of sarcopenia, then discuss what to do about them.

A Sedentary Lifestyle

As people get older, they tend to exercise much less often. This change can be due to a lot of things, from a mobility-limiting illness to simple lifestyle changes, but the result for seniors is much the same as for younger adults: If you don’t use it, you lose it. By not working out, older adults essentially tell their bodies that they don’t need much muscle mass, causing the volume of muscle in the body to shrink over time and contributing to the effects of sarcopenia. However, adding a strength-building exercise routine that includes resistance training has been shown to help seniors increase their muscle mass and strength, even in the presence of other causes of sarcopenia; just make sure you consult your doctor before beginning a routine, and consider working with a personal trainer – at least at first – to create a regimen that is both safe and effective.

Hormonal Changes

While a sedentary lifestyle is something you can easily fix, the second common cause of sarcopenia – hormonal changes – is virtually impossible to address. It’s a simple fact that, as we age, our bodies start to produce less of the hormones needed to build new muscle tissue, such as testosterone, which makes it more difficult to restore lost muscles at a basic, chemical level. Although research is being conducted on the possibility of using hormone therapy to help treat sarcopenia, there is not yet any medication approved for use against this specific condition.

Poor Diet

Like lifestyle factors, a person’s diet is one cause of sarcopenia that people can do something about. In particular, many older adults need to get more protein in their diets, since this macronutrient is the body’s main resource when making new tissues. Without adequate protein intake, a person is essentially depriving their body of the building blocks of muscles; no building blocks, no muscles. Generally, experts suggest that older adults get about half a gram of protein per pound of body weight each day, as protein can both help build muscle and preserve what’s already there. In addition, older adults often lack the proper amount of vitamin D, and a deficiency in this vitamin has been linked to a loss of strength; adding these nutrients to your diet in the form of better food choices or a meal replacement shake may go a long way toward helping your body create the muscle tissue it’s missing.

Chronic Illness

As our bodies try to fight off serious illnesses, they trigger certain internal changes that can contribute to the effects of sarcopenia. In some cases, this may be an increase in energy consumption, which can force the body to break down muscle tissue for fuel; in other instances, the issue is inflammation, which can disrupt the body’s healing and tissue-building processes and cause a loss of muscle mass and strength. Unfortunately, many of the ailments that worsen the symptoms of sarcopenia are chronic, meaning that they linger for months or years, but finding ways to better manage your condition (if possible) may improve your body’s ability to fight sarcopenia.

Slower Muscle Production

Just as the body’s shifts in hormone levels are more or less unavoidable, so too are the changes in its muscle production processes. For people of any age, the movement of skeletal muscle stem cells is a key part of creating new muscle tissue; for younger adults, this isn’t an issue, but this cell migration can slow down significantly as a person ages, which hinders the body’s ability to use those cells to build new muscle fibers.

Try a Protein-Rich Meal Replacement Shake to Help Fight the Causes of Sarcopenia

While there may be little that can be done about some of the causes of sarcopenia, two of the biggest factors – a lack of exercise and a poor diet – are relatively simple to fix. By adding an ENU nutrition shake to your diet, you can get 20 grams of easily digestible whey and soy protein each day, and our Pro3+ nutritional powder can help boost the calorie and protein content of your food without forcing you to eat more of it. To learn more about all the benefits of ENU products, visit us online or call us today at (855) 266-6733.