Forget about muscle mass as you age, focus on strength

NEW YORK – These days, you might think you have to become a powerlifter to age well.

Dr Gabrielle Lyon, a celebrity physician, calls muscles the organ of longevity. For Dr Peter Attia, they are the most important retirement accounts you can have.

You are often reminded that muscle mass starts to decline as early as 30, and that it becomes harder to build muscle as you get older. But what are you supposed to do about it? And does the size of your biceps and quads really matter for longevity? Probably not, it turns out.

Experts say the secret to feeling strong in the long term is to focus less on the size of a muscle and more on what it can lift and how quickly, which helps you avoid chronic disease, falls and even admission into a nursing home.

You want your muscles to be functional so you can move heavy things, said Dr Michael Ormsbee, a professor of exercise physiology at Florida State University. “That’s strength. That’s power,” he said.

How to know if you should strength train

Everyone’s strength demands are different. Some people need to tote a 4.5kg laundry basket upstairs, others need to move household furniture, bags of cement or obstinate pets.

So, the clearest sign you need to incorporate strength training into your routine is if you begin to adapt your daily life around the loss of strength, said Dr Donald Dengel, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of Minnesota.

For example, many older people he has worked with begin putting cans on lower shelves when it becomes too difficult to lift things from higher ones. While this might make it easier to prepare dinner, it also means they are not exercising those muscles as much.

“When I’m not working that muscle group any more, it’s just going to continue to decline,” Dr Dengel said.

There are also multiple strength tests you can do with little or no equipment. The sit-to-stand test is a good proxy for power. A push-up test can measure upper body strength and simply carrying dumbbells can test your grip.

How to train for functional strength

Many weightlifting programmes prioritise building bigger muscles. But the goal of lifting as you age, Dr Dengel said, should be building or maintaining strength, not muscle mass.

Those new to strength training, he added, will tend to gain both strength and muscle, no matter what approach they use. But there are a few things that can help you focus on functional strength, which means training to improve the way you move in daily life.

Lift heavier

While research shows you can build both muscle and strength with light weight, it is more efficient to lift progressively heavier.

Dr Ormsbee recommended doing three to six repetitions of a weight that takes about 75 per cent of your max effort. This means a weight that is heavy enough so the last few repetitions feel difficult, but not so heavy that you reach failure, where you cannot possibly do another rep, or use poor form.

About 20 minutes is all you need to get through an effective strength training session.

Train for speed and power

As you age, you lose more fast-twitch muscle fibres (key for explosive movements) than slow-twitch ones, which are important for endurance efforts.

Power training, which can include plyometrics, medicine ball slams and other quick movements, can help you maintain these fast-twitch fibres longer, said Dr Abbie Smith-Ryan, a professor of exercise physiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Having quick reaction times is not just important for athletes, but it is also useful for everyday challenges, like recovering from a stumble or avoiding tripping over a pet.

“That’s not just lifting heavy weight, but lifting weight quickly so you have the reaction time and speed to get your foot underneath you as you fall off a kerb,” Dr Ormsbee said.

Single-leg movements, like lunges or step-ups, are another important way to build power and functional strength, he added. “If you had to run and jump over a small obstacle, you wouldn’t jump off two legs. You’re jumping off one leg.”

Focus on daily movements

As you age, Dr Dengel said, you should focus on preserving your strength for functional, daily movements, like carrying groceries or picking up a child.

For example, many people lose strength in their shoulders as they get older, he added. To build your shoulder strength, he recommended a shoulder press, using either dumbbells, a barbell, resistance bands or even a milk jug.

“A milk jug weighs about 8 pounds when you fill it up with water,” he said. Eight pounds is about 3.6kg.

If you are starting out, fill it up halfway and start off by lifting onto a high shelf eight times. As you get stronger, add more water or more repetitions. You can also pick milk jugs off the ground, performing a deadlift. NYTIMES