What is Sarcopenia and How Can High-Intensity Interval Training Prevent it?
Posted by Orthopaedic Specialists
What is Sarcopenia?
Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass as we age. As we get older, we start to have a more rapid breakdown of our basic muscle mass that gets replaced with fatty tissue. This can be attributed to a more sedentary lifestyle in our older years as well as common changes in one’s nutrition, hormones and protein levels that come with the aging process.
As a result, one’s balance, strength, gait and ability to perform daily tasks can become quite limited. While we start to lose muscle mass around the age of 40, sarcopenia tends to affect those in their 60’s or 70’s.
While there is no cure for old age, or sarcoopenia for that matter, one can prevent sarcopenia by adopting a healthier lifestyle. Increasing one’s daily protein intake for example can ensure malnutrition is not a factor. Additionally, strength training exercises can help increase muscle size. With the right workout routine even bones, ligaments and tendons can become strengthened.
How Can High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Prevent Sarcopenia?
The only way to slow down, reverse, or prevent the process of losing muscle mass is to continually stress your muscles. HIIT training stresses your muscles. When you push your muscles to fatigue, they will respond by getting stronger.
However it is important that you are not just working out one particular muscle group because the other muscle groups will start to atrophy or get sarcopenia. It’s like the old saying, “If you don’t use it, you will lose it!” Because the 50-year-old is the new 40-year-old, it is critical that muscles be continually worked out.
F45 provides a work out that will fatigue different muscle groups different days of the week. Because it is a scientifically-based program, you can work out 5 to 7 days a week and not cause overuse injuries but all the muscle groups will be utilized.
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