How Muscle Changes With Age

Even if your everyday lifestyle and workout routines remain the same, your body is constantly changing. While metabolism speed and joint flexibility are often brought up in discussions surrounding how the body evolves over time, muscle mass changes and muscle growth rate don’t get as much of the spotlight.

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We’ve all seen the photos of bodybuilders still lifting barbells and showing off bulging biceps throughout their golden years. And celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone are strong examples of how you can stay in shape and kill a weight training routine in your 70s – and beyond – too. But what does it take to maintain muscle mass as you get older, and why is it essential to do so in the first place?

To answer all those questions and more, we checked in with a few of our favorite fitness pros to break down how muscles change from your 20s to 30s to 40s, and beyond, what training techniques are best for muscle maintenance, and how diet plays into it all.

How Does Muscle Composition Change with Age?

Like bone mass, muscle mass naturally decreases as we age; this is referred to as sarcopenia. 

The bad news? This decline starts at a younger age than you’d expect. According to Dr. Olufade “Dr. Alfy,” sports medicine MD, “starting in our late 20s, we start to see general muscle mass reduction. By 50, loss of muscle mass increases to 5-10 percent.” He adds that “the biggest muscle decline occurs in our 60s and 70s. There is 0.5 percent to 1 percent loss of muscle mass per year after age 70.”

This loss can be accelerated by inactivity, as well. Melissa Urban, co-founder and CEO of Whole30, notes that “physically inactive individuals and [men] with lower levels of testosterone can see a 3 to 8 percent decrease in lean muscle mass each decade, starting in their 30s and 40s.” 

The good news? All of this can be compensated. Urban shares that “while there is a decrease in muscle protein synthesis and repair [as we get older], studies suggest that there is NO change in degradation (muscle breakdown).”  This means that “individuals can help compensate for these age-related changes by consuming a diet rich in protein and by staying consistent with resistance training to maintain muscle they've already established. Weights aren't necessary; bands and even body weight can be a form of resistance training,” she says.

Why Is it Harmful to Not Have Enough Muscle Mass?

Sure, it can be nice to have toned legs, sculpted arms, and a six-pack, but the importance of maintaining (and, if needed, gaining) muscle goes beyond aesthetics.

Maintaining a healthy weight and lowering the risk of diabetes: “Not having enough muscle mass means your body composition leans more heavily towards fat mass vs. lean body mass,” notes Urban. “Since muscle mass helps with increasing your BMR (basal metabolic rate), it helps in losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight. Higher muscle mass is also associated with better insulin sensitivity, which leads to a lower risk of developing [type 2] diabetes and supporting diabetic treatment plans.”

Limits daily activities: Dr. Steven Lamm, MD, medical director of NYU Langone’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health, shares that less muscle mass makes everyday activities, such as climbing stairs and lifting groceries, more strenuous. He notes that “those with advanced muscle loss may experience a higher risk for falls, fractures, and often even loss of independence.” This leads to inactivity, which then leads to more muscle loss. 

What Training Techniques Are Best for Maintaining and Gaining Muscle Mass?

OK, so losing muscle happens naturally, but clearly, it isn’t great for your bod. So how do you go about correcting it? In short: start moving.

“I recommend that patients perform 8 to 10 multi-joint exercises [i.e., kettlebell squat or dumbbell lunge] that affect major muscle groups two to three nonconsecutive days per week,” says Olufade. “Perform two to four sets of resistance training for each muscle group. Each set should consist of 8 to 12 repetitions. Be mindful to exhale during lifting and inhale during lowering actions.”

Your hard work will pay off when you’re older, too. Brian J. Goonan PT, DPT, OCS, SFMA, ART, physical therapist at HSS, shares that “a 2020 review published in the Journal of Sports Medicine examined 22 studies and found that resistance training for two days a week up to 12 weeks on average can improve muscle mass and function in older adults 75 years and older (one study was as little as eight weeks and one up to 18 weeks).”

He adds that “the highest association with quality of life is that you have large quadriceps muscle.” Meaning? Don’t give up on these squats and lunges any time soon.

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How Does Diet Impact Muscle Mass?

What you eat daily isn’t going to build the aforementioned quadricep muscles or tone your core directly. Still, diet does influence your body composition and the body’s ability to develop and maintain muscle.

“Ensuring your diet consists of enough protein is critical when your body starts to decrease muscle mass,” says Lamm. He adds that each individual’s specific protein needs are different, so it is best to talk to your doctor to determine the right portion for your body. “It is also important to ensure your body is getting proper vitamins that support muscle health, such as calcium, biotin, iron, magnesium, and vitamin C. For those looking for an added boost in muscle function overall, I also suggest incorporating natural supplements.” Pycnogenol® French maritime pine bark – a supplement backed by science to help curb muscle loss – is one of his favorite natural supplements.

On the carb front, Urban recommends “sticking with whole food sources of carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes. [These] can ensure sufficient glycogen stores to be used as fuel during workouts and reduce inflammation to assist in [workout] recovery. “

P.S. You’re better off getting into the habit of hydrating now. That ritual will pay off in years to come. “It is very important for older gentlemen to be drinking four to five glasses of water a day,” says Goonan. “It is common for older males to get dehydrated faster, which could lead to more muscle damage.”

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