Muscle mass and Physical Performance Inversely Related to All-Cause Mortality - Sanz Solutions Health and Longevity

Muscle mass and Physical Performance Inversely Related to All-Cause Mortality

Yesterday I wrote about the benefits of consuming a high protein diet at an advanced age, I recommended around 1 gram of protein per pound of body mass. This amount of protein helps to fight sarcopenia as we get older. Today I will discuss why this is important. 
Muscle mass and physical performance have been shown to be inversely related to all-cause mortality in older adults.
This study from NHANES found...
  • Muscle mass, independent of fat mass and cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, is inversely associated with mortality risk in older adults
  • These findings suggest that anabolic processes, that promote muscle bulk, may be associated with longer survival.
  • Changes in body composition, rather than adiposity alone, should be considered when counseling older adults on preventative health behaviours.

This study emphasized the importance of maintaining muscle mass at an advanced age to increase lifespan.

We can look at this study to show that physical performance is also inversely related to all-cause mortality. Lower gait speed, higher timed up-and-go test and timed chair stand, lower weight-adjusted leg press, and lower handgrip strength were all associated with high risks of mortality after the adjustment for confounders.

What can we take away from this?

We can use studies like these to show the importance of maintaining muscle mass and physical performance as we age. Resistance training coupled with eating adequate amounts of protein and practicing fundamental movements such as squats, deadlifts, get-ups, presses and pulls, is the recipe to a long healthy life. 

 

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