Older people face a variety of challenges. Their body is changing, their health is not as good as before. Today we invite you to learn what sarcopenia is.
What is sarcopenia?
First you need to understand the terminology. The origin of the word sarcopenia, according to the Oxford Living Dictionary of English, comes from the Greek words sark, “flesh” and penia, “lack”. Basically, the body becomes “weak meat”.
“Sarcopenia is an age-related atrophic degenerative change in skeletal muscle that results in a gradual loss of muscle mass and strength” – such a description is given in Wikipedia.
What does this mean for people?
Aging is often accompanied by loss of muscle mass and strength. We’re starting to notice that it’s getting a little harder to open corked bottles or lift boxes. It can be more difficult to climb stairs that we used to climb easily when we were younger. How often we notice that older people often look frail.
But what does that weakness look like?
This can include staggering, slow gait, difficulty standing up and sitting in a chair, and loose skin where muscles used to be. This is the nature of sarcopenia, the loss of muscle that eventually causes us to become depleted and weaker.
What happens when we lose muscle strength?
When we lose muscle mass, we begin to lose strength, and falls and other accidents increase. Stories are very common in old age when a person seemingly suddenly loses their balance, falls and breaks something. A person with sarcopenia also finds it more difficult to perform normal daily activities such as cooking, bathing, cleaning the house, and the like.
What to do if your loved ones have sarcopenia?
Over the past 5 years, I have watched my 80 year old mother and mother in law gradually lose strength. At first, this weakening process was slow, then, during the last 6-8 months of life, the weakness overcame them faster than could have been imagined. They stayed in bed and had difficulty getting up. After getting out of bed, they just sat.
They were waiting for someone to cook them and we thought it was nice of us to bring them dinner in bed. It taught me a valuable lesson as I watched these two formerly energetic and active women lose their energy—they really lost their energy because they didn’t do anything to get it back. It was their choice.
They considered themselves old and weak. They lacked internal motivation and social support to get up and move. Every day they became less and less involved in life. Their muscles weakened, their bodies went limp, and eventually they were unable to move.
It’s definitely not too late to fight sarcopenia!
However, everything is not so bleak. We must not passively accept this blow of fate. Medical research shows that we can maintain and even grow muscle in later years. We can be strong and have muscles!
You have to tense your muscles
First, you have to use the muscles you have and work on your strengths. Yes, that means you have to do the hard work. Clean the house and cook regularly. Let the washing machine rest and wash by hand. My 74-year-old friend has great skin on her arms above the elbow because she does simple arm exercises with light weights every morning.
Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes. Our muscles, joints and tendons are maturing and we need to take care of them. In no case should you jump or lift very heavy objects, such as young people. You can’t do what you did when you were 20.
Don’t forget the importance of protein
Second, as older adults, we also need to eat more protein. We need them now more than in our youth. If you start the day with coffee, be sure to eat an egg or yogurt as well. Maintain protein intake throughout the day.
It is thought to be good to have protein at dinner, but for older people it is more important to get it earlier in the day as well. Older people need twice as much protein for strong bones and muscles.
Conclusion: We should not be afraid of sarcopenia. Knowing what it is, we can fight this disease well.
Note: consult your health care professional before starting a strength training program and increasing your protein intake.
Have you ever heard of sarcopenia? Are you feeling the effects of muscle loss? Are you ready to start doing something about it? Please share your experience with us in the comments.
