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The Importance of Maintaining Muscle Mass Throughout Your Life
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The Importance of Maintaining Muscle Mass Throughout Your Life
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When people hear the term ‘muscle mass’, they may immediately think of bodybuilders attempting to set records. However, everyone has muscle mass, and it’s critical to know how and why it fluctuates over the course of your lifetime. This important body trait typically peaks at around 30 – 35 years old, but there are ways to keep your numbers high even as your body naturally sheds some of its mass.
Measuring Muscle Mass
Muscle mass refers to your skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle, but it does not include your bones or bodily fluids. The most widely measured kind of muscle mass, though, are the skeletal muscles. These are the ones most associated with everything from balance to mobility.
The caveat is that muscle mass is not always easy to measure, and it depends on everything from how tall you are to where your ancestors hail from. (The best you can do is deduce your muscle mass from your body fat percentage if you happen to know it.) However, the general rule is that you’ll see the biggest dip in your numbers between the ages of 76 – 85.
Why Prioritize Your Muscle Mass?
Age-related muscle loss is known as sarcopenia in the medical world, and doctors can attest that the general drop of a few percentage points correlated with higher rates of injuries. The higher the muscle mass you have, the more you protect your body.
Not only will you slow the rate of muscle loss, but you’ll also be improving your metabolism. Maintaining skeletal muscles at rest burns more calories than fat. Finally, muscle mass is associated with longer lives. People with higher-than-average muscle mass are less likely to have complications during surgery, diabetes, or osteoporosis.
How to Maintain Muscle Mass
The good news is that no matter how old you are, it’s never too late to start building muscle mass back up again. Here are a few proven ways to get it done:
Bodyweight exercise
Pushups, weight-lifting, high-intensity interval training, and Pilates are all excellent options for those who want to build up their muscles.
Cardio exercise
Jogging, walking, and even dancing are known to support muscle growth.
Nutrient-rich diet
Protein is the key to building muscle mass, which may mean increasing your intake of nuts, lean meats and fish, eggs, and beans. Aim for up to a third of your daily calories coming from protein.
Preventative care starts with understanding how your body works. Once you know the importance of your muscle mass, it becomes easier to be aware of how you can help your body help itself.
Hormonal Optimization for Maintaining Muscle Mass
Hormonal optimization, specifically through the optimization of testosterone and growth hormone, plays a crucial role in maintaining muscle mass.
Testosterone, a primary male hormone, is essential for muscle growth and repair. By ensuring healthy testosterone levels through proper nutrition, exercise, and adequate rest, individuals can promote muscle protein synthesis and inhibit muscle protein breakdown.
Similarly, growth hormone, produced by the pituitary gland, also contributes significantly to muscle maintenance and regeneration. Engaging in resistance training, high-intensity exercise, and quality sleep can help stimulate the release of growth hormone, which aids in muscle recovery and the development of lean muscle mass.
By prioritizing hormonal optimization, individuals can unlock the potential for enhanced muscle growth and preservation, supporting their overall fitness and well-being.
What is Hormone Pellet Therapy?
Hormone pellet therapy administers hormones such as estradiol or testosterone into a patient’s body via a compounded hormone pellet which is inserted through minor, painless outpatient surgery.
Bioidentical hormone replacement pellet therapy utilizes bioidentical hormones, which have the same exact chemical structure as natural produced hormones. This allows for the hormone to fully function as it dissolves and is metabolized throughout the body.
With two to four appointments per year depending on your body type, physical needs and custom compound, hormone pellet therapy can offer patients easy, efficient assistance to a happier life.
Interested in Hormone Pellet Therapy?
Contact us today to get started in your journey!
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