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As Americans increasingly turn to GLP-1 drugs — which have been linked to loss of lean muscle mass, particularly during rapid weight loss — experts say preserving strength and mobility should be a priority as people age.
Jacob Zemer, a New York-based fitness trainer who primarily trains clients ages 35 to 55, said that beyond GLP-1, there are several other reasons why adults begin to lose muscle as they age.
“The biggest change is lifestyle,” he told Fox News Digital. “When you’re a teenager or in your 20s, you’re running around, doing activities that lend themselves to building muscle.”
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That tends to change as people focus on their careers and families, the expert said.
“You just become more sedentary, which lowers your metabolism and activity level, so you’re going to have less muscle.”
The expert said he believes everyone should be “very attentive” to building muscle, starting from a young age. (iStock)
As people approach midlife, hormone levels begin to change in both men and women, Zemer noted.
“That means we’re splitting the calories we’re using less and less for protein and muscle building, and more and more to just store them as fat,” he said.
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“We see this all the time… people start storing fat in their stomach and they start having less muscle.”
Zemer said he thinks everyone should be “very attentive” to muscle development, starting from a young age.
For general health, U.S. physical activity guidelines recommend that adults engage in strength training at least two days per week, working all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms). (iStock)
“Until your 50s, your goal should be to build muscle so that when you enter your golden years — your 60s, 70s, 80s — it’s a lot like your 401K,” he said.
“You’re going to burn out as you go through life. So in your 30s and 40s, you just have to be more strategic about it because your lifestyle has changed. You have to go to the gym and work out to get that muscle later in life.”
Zemer shared the following strategies that can help people slow muscle loss as they age.
#1: Get Enough Protein
Protein helps boost muscle protein synthesis, the body’s process of repairing and building muscle, according to Zemer.
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Including enough protein in your daily diet can help reduce the risk of sarcopenia, which is the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength.
Although protein needs vary based on age, activity level and fitness goals, Zemer said people who regularly strength train generally benefit from a higher intake.
Including enough protein in your daily diet can help reduce the risk of sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. (iStock)
“If you’re a sedentary person, you don’t need to be obsessed with protein,” he told Fox News Digital. “Very few people don’t get enough protein in terms of macronutrients. But if you’re working out and going to the gym, you want to consume between 0.8 and 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.”
#2: Strength Train Regularly
For general health, U.S. physical activity guidelines recommend that adults engage in strength training at least two days per week, working all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises using moderate or higher intensity until it is difficult to complete another repetition with good form.
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The guidelines also recommend pairing strength training with 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity) each week.
Lifting weights is not just about building muscle, but also about preserving it, according to Zemer.
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“Even if you have a busy week and you went to the gym and lifted weights for 30 minutes twice a week, that may not be enough to build new muscle, but it’s certainly enough to maintain your muscle,” he said.
“So it’s very important that you lift weights several times a week as you get older.”
For beginners, the trainer recommends focusing on a few basic functional movements. (iStock)
For beginners, Zemer recommends focusing on a few basic functional movements. Body-weight exercises like squats, lunges, push-ups and pulling movements help build strength for daily activities, while carrying weighted objects — known as the farmer’s carry, Zemer said — can improve grip, balance and overall stability.
For people who feel intimidated by the gym, working with a qualified trainer for a few sessions can help build their confidence and refine their technique, according to Zemer.
#3: Get enough sleep
Perhaps the most difficult strategy for maintaining muscle is getting enough quality sleep – seven to nine hours, Zemer emphasized.
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“Now, if you don’t do it every night, you won’t lose muscle,” he noted. “But when you start looking at severe sleep deprivation, like we’re talking about five hours straight, that’s when you see rapid muscle loss.”
No. 4: Find alternatives if necessary
“The worst thing you can do, even if you’re injured, is stop doing anything,” Zemer said.
Even without structured training, regular movement can help slow age-related muscle loss, while a sedentary lifestyle is associated with a rapid decline in muscle mass and strength, the expert warns. (iStock)
“Find things you can do. Even if something hurts, even if your knees don’t feel like they used to.”
Even without structured training, regular movement can help slow age-related muscle loss, while a sedentary lifestyle is associated with a rapid decline in muscle mass and strength, the expert warns.
GLP-1 and muscle loss
The above strategies are especially important for people who take GLP-1 medications for weight loss, Zemer noted, because these medications can cause muscle loss in the absence of strength training or adequate protein.
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“If you’re on a GLP-1, remember that you’re accelerating the rate of fat loss, but you’re also accelerating the rate of lean muscle mass,” he said.
“You want to make sure you’re getting that protein and working out, so you’re not losing muscle on top of losing fat.”
Gn Health
