The Society for Sarcopenia, Cachexia, and Wasting Disease convened an expert panel to develop nutritional recommendations for prevention and management of sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass in aging males).

Exercise (both resistance and aerobic) in combination with adequate protein and energy intake is the key component of the prevention and management of sarcopenia.

Findings:

• Adequate supplementation of protein alone only slows loss of muscle mass.
• Adequate protein intake of leucine-enriched balanced amino acids and possibly creatine may enhance muscle strength.
• Low 25(OH) vitamin D levels require vitamin D replacement.

Source: JAMDA (Journal of American Medical Directors Association); Vol. 11, Issue 6, July 2101, Pages 391-396

Today’s post is from the archive, yet is every bit as topical today… certainly just as valuable while you advance your fitness program to a Fall routine.

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It’s  always an interesting conversation when I have a client who says to me “I don’t want to get BIG. You know… not like a Body-builder.”

As if body-building is viewed as some kind of perverse obsession.

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Testosterone has been getting a lot of press lately, and not all of it is good.

With hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increasingly prescribed to all types of men—young, old, gay, straight—who just want to maintain their strong muscles and lean midsections, a variety of medical groups have started waving red flags about the many potential pitfalls of testosterone supplementation, from permanent cessation of the body’s ability to produce testosterone on its own, to drops in the “good” cholesterol that promotes heart health.

Increasingly, leaders in the medical community have begun pushing to establish guidelines to use HRT only when it’s medically needed, not as a pharmaceutical fountain of youth.

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By mid-February, I bet that most of your thoughts about the “new year” are long passed.  Resolutions. Goals. Intentions… whatever you call them – by Valentine’s Day, they’re usually gone and forgotten.

When setting fitness goals (especially at new year), our generally optimistic nature tends to set the bar pretty high.  Then, after a month of working hard to establish new behaviour patterns and routines, it’s not uncommon to feel frustrated when goals set so easily in January, are not being achieved fast enough.

You’re working hard on your program. You’re watching what you eat. You’re surrounded by people who are encouraging and supportive. But still…

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Ever look at yourself in the mirror, or catch your reflection in a window, and think “Why do I look and feel both skinny AND fat?”.  Here’s a classic “skinny-fat” case:

- male; 5 feet 10 inches
- 165 pounds; 15% body fat
- Goal: “lose fat -gain muscle”

When guys start back to the gym, many think that they need to focus on a fat loss program first, which is usually when I hear “I’m just going to concentrate on my cardio for a couple of months to lose this jiggle“.

Most often though, that is the worst thing they could do, because their bodies do not have enough muscle mass to sustain a fat loss program without losing even more muscle. So the guy starts burning a lot of calories, dieting too much, and then ends up a smaller version of his skinny-fat body.

What should the “skinny-fat” guy be doing?

He needs to be focussed on gaining more muscle and eating a little extra carbs and proteins before and after working out.

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

Tip: If your focus is on building more muscle, lift weights 3-4 days per week for 45 minutes. If you need to burn fat too, do 3 full body workouts with some timed interval training using short-burst treadmill sprints. Long, slow, mind-numbing cardio doesn’t cut it.

I see you!

You go to the gym, you step onto the nearest elliptical cross-trainer, you hit ‘Quick Start’ and you begin your workout. Maybe read a bit. Check out the other people around you. Bore yourself watching some lame show on the TV.

As you start to feel more comfortable, you may decide to add a level. Or not. Then you get bored and decide enough is enough after 15 minutes.

People! There is so much more to gain out of your training experience. I have written about this before: Time isn’t the issue, it’s all about Intensity.

A short, high intensity workout offers greater fat-control benefits than a long, steady routine.

Short routines with minimal resting time give you a high power workout that is NOT boring and, most importantly, does NOT leave you disappointingly short on fat-loss and anti-ageing results.

Doug at MyTrainerSays dot com

Ask a kid how old is “old”, you’ll hear “my parents are old“.  Ask a young adult how old is “old”, you’ll hear “my grandfather is old“. Ask a grandfather how old is “old”, you’ll hear “that guy down the street is old“.

The oft-reported challenge of an ageing population to pension plans and health care systems doesn’t compare to the extraordinary challenge that ageing presents to an unfit individual.

Actually, each person can be described by 4 different “ages”:

1. Chronological age. “I am 55 years old.”

2. Functional age. “Compared to the average, my functional ability is similar to an individual 10 years younger.”

3. Psychological age. “I have a state of mind and mental ability that compares with a 40 year old”.

4. Social age. “I behave in a manner similar to a slightly younger individual.”

Of course, as we age there are DOZENS of structural and functional changes that we go through.   And although “Anti-aging” is a term tossed around a lot, some things work and some things are simply hype. By now however you should have no trouble naming the 2 Superheros Working Against Ageing.

Nutrition and Exercise.

If you want to learn more about Ageing and how a personalized exercise program can target areas where you may be ageing faster than you want to – drop me a line.

Doug
MyTRAINER says…