Do you know what sarcopenia is?

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Weight increasing comes as you get older. It can be due to the degeneration suffered by your muscle mass. Get to know about sarcopenia and how you can prevent it

Many relate reaching 40’s with weight gain. It is an "open secret" that many experience certain changes on the balance when they approach this decade. And yes, the truth is that our body seems to change, and it seems that it does not respond in the same way and we begin to see ourselves differently, both in the mirror and in the numbers that are reflected on the scale. The responsible for the above is our muscle mass, which has a great influence on this process.

Leer en español: ¿Sabes qué es la sarcopenia?

With age comes a degeneration of muscle fibers, a process called sarcopenia. It is not an immediate process when a certain number of years are reached, but age; diet and physical state play roles in this muscular degeneration. By having less active muscle fibers, our metabolism slows down and with this; there may be an increase in the weight of the individual.

The publication MedicalNewsToday points out the figures of the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) where it is stated that the amount of muscles that people possess begins to decrease in the close to the fourth decade of life, and this deterioration becomes greater when it reaches 60 years old

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VeryWellFit says that inactive people can lose 3 to 5 percent of muscle mass per decade after 30. But the important factor is to highlight the word inactive, since active people, can lessen their side effects and stop muscle deterioration.

The important thing about this is to understand that muscle should not be a purely aesthetic concern, and that sarcopenia does not just mean weight gain. But this tissue – the muscle – is linked to many basic functions of the individual's life. Without it, many daily activities that seem simple could not be carried out easily. Things like lifting the groceries, stooping, standing, moving, turning around, even activities as unconscious as sitting down to read, could be a torment and pain without a healthy muscle mass. This is because in all the daily movements the muscles are impacted.

The muscles also make people less susceptible to injury, keeping the joints healthy and mobile. There is also a relationship with metabolism and the increase of body fat when maintaining a healthy musculature.

Of course, for many people, it may sound lapidary to reach a certain age and think that they did not work on their muscles, but the truth is that it is never too late to start. What should be kept in mind are these factors:

• The Muscle must be used to not lose it: to maintain a healthy muscle mass, you must exercise and eat well. What happens is that many people losing muscle, whether due to inactivity or bad diet, are more likely to gain body fat.
• The muscles improve bone density too: while walking, running, cycling and swimming can help you maintain bone strength, the muscle helps maintain bone density and in fact, increase it, because it increases its density mineral. And this is something that is important for overall health as we get older.

Healthline Health magazine explains that the best weapon we have to fight sarcopenia is in the exercises and feeding. Maintaining an active life, where the cardiovascular system, muscle strength, and balance are worked on, can help us fight the loss of muscle fibers. And an adequate diet is the key to nourish the body as the years pass on the calendar.

LatinAmerican Post | Clementine Ramos

Translated from: '¿Sabes qué es la sarcopenia?'