Sarcopenia: Causes, Prevention, And Treatement. Part 2
01/06/2010
Sarcopenia: Causes, Prevention, And Treatement. Part 2
By Will Brink
Nutrient considerations
There are several supplemental nutrients that should be
especially helpful for combating sarcopenia, both directly and
indirectly. Supplements that have shown promise for combating
sarcopenia are creatine, vitamin D, whey protein,
acetyl-L-carnitine, glutamine, and buffering agents such as
potassium bicarbonate.
Creatine
The muscle atrophy found in older adults comes predominantly
from a loss of fast twitch (FT) type II fibers which are
recruited during high-intensity, anaerobic movements (e.g.,
weight lifting, sprinting, etc.). Interestingly, these are
exactly the fibers creatine has the most profound effects on.
Various studies find creatine given to older adults increases
strength and lean body mass (Chrusch et al., 2001; Gotshalk et
al., 2002; Brose et al., 2003). One group concluded:
"Creatine supplementation may be a useful therapeutic strategy
for older adults to attenuate loss in muscle strength and
performance of functional living tasks."
Vitamin D
It's well established that vitamin D plays an essential role in
bone health. However, recent studies suggest it's also essential
for maintaining muscle mass in aging populations. In muscle,
vitamin D is essential for preserving type II muscle fibers,
which, as mentioned above, are the very muscle fibers that
atrophy most in aging people. Adequate vitamin D intakes could
help reduce the rates of both osteoporosis and sarcopenia found
in aging people (Montero-Odasso et al., 2005) leading the author
of one recent review on the topic of vitamin D's effects on bone
and muscle to conclude:
"In both cases (muscle and bone tissue) vitamin D plays an
important role since the low levels of this vitamin seen in
senior people may be associated to a deficit in bone formation
and muscle function"
and
"We expect that these new considerations about the importance
of vitamin D in the elderly will stimulate an innovative
approach to the problem of falls and fractures which constitutes
a significant burden to public health budgets worldwide."
Whey protein
As previously mentioned, many older adults fail to get enough
high quality protein in their diets. Whey has an exceptionally
high biological value (BV), with anti-cancer and immune
enhancing properties among its many uses. As a rule, higher
biological value proteins are superior for maintaining muscle
mass compared to lower quality proteins, which may be of
particular importance to older individuals. Finally, data
suggests "fast" digesting proteins such as whey may be superior
to other proteins for preserving lean body mass in older
individuals (Dangin et al., 2002).
Additional Nutrients of interest
There are several additional nutrients worth considering when
developing a comprehensive supplement regimen designed to
prevent and or treat sarcopenia. In no particular order, they
are: fish oils (EPA/DHA), acetyl-l-carnitine, glutamine, and
buffering agents such as potassium bicarbonate. There is good
scientific reason to believe they would be beneficial for
combating sarcopenia, but data specific to sarcopenia is
lacking. For example, EPA/DHA has been found to preserve muscle
mass (e.g. is anti-catabolic) under a wide range of
physiological conditions. The anti-inflammatory effects of fish
oils would also lead one to believe they should be of value in
the prevention or treatment of sarcopenia. In general, fish oils
have so many health benefits, it makes sense to recommend them
here.
Acetyl-l-carnitine also offers many health benefits to aging
people, and data suggests it should be useful in combating this
condition. More research specific to sarcopenia is needed
however.
Glutamine is another nutrient that should be useful in an
overall plan to combat sarcopenia. Finally, data does suggest
strongly that bicarbonate and citrate buffering agents
containing minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium
can reverse the metabolic acidosis caused by unbalanced western
diets. However, I hesitate to recommend this particular strategy
as it does not address the root cause, which is the diet itself.
Much greater health benefits will result from improving the diet
over simply adding in this supplement. In addition, there are
potential problems that could result from excessive intake of
buffer salts, such as hyperkalemia and formation of kidney
stones.
Exercise Considerations
Exercise is the lynchpin to the previous sections. Without it,
none of the above will be an effective method of
preventing/treating sarcopenia. Exercise is the essential
stimulus for systemwide release of various hormones such as GH,
as well as local growth factors in tissue, such as MGF. Exercise
is the stimulus that increases protein and bone synthesis, and
exerts other effects that combat the loss of essential muscle
and bone as we age. Exercise optimizes the effects of HRT, diet
and supplements, so if you think you can sit on the couch and
follow the above recommendations...think again.
Although any exercise is generally better then no exercise, all
forms of exercise are not created equal. You will note, for
example, many of the studies listed at the end of this article
have titles like: "GH and resistance exercise" or "creatine
effects combined with resistance exercise" and so on. Aerobic
exercise is great for the cardiovascular system and helps keep
body fat low, but when scientists or athletes want to increase
lean mass, resistance training is always the method. Aerobics
does not build muscle and is only mildly effective at preserving
the lean body mass you already have. Thus, some form of
resistance training (via weights, machines, bands, etc.) is
essential for preserving or increasing muscle mass. The CDC
report on resistance exercise for older adults summarizes it as:
"In addition to building muscles, strength training can promote
mobility, improve health-related fitness, and strengthen bones."
Combined with HRT (if indicated), dietary modifications, and
the supplements listed above, dramatic improvements in lean body
mass can be achieved at virtually any age, with improvements in
strength, functionality into advanced age, and improvements in
overall health and general well being.
Conclusion
Hopefully, the reader will appreciate that I have attempted to
cover a huge amount of territory with this topic. Each
sub-section (nutrition, hormones, etc.) could easily be its own
article if not its own book. This means each section is a
general overview vs. anything close to an exhaustive discussion.
Below is guide to web sites that offer additional information
regarding the topics covered in this article and should
(hopefully!) help fill in any gaps. To summarize, to prevent or
treat sarcopenia:
• Get adequate high quality proteins from a variety of sources
as well as adequate calories. Avoid excessive animal protein and
cereal grain intakes while increasing the intake of fruits and
vegetables.
• Get regular blood work on all major hormones after the age of
40 and discuss with a medical professional if HRT is indicated.
• Add supplements such as: creatine, vitamin D, whey protein,
acetyl-l-carnitine, glutamine, and buffering agents such as
potassium bicarbonate.
• Exercise regularly, with an emphasis on resistance training,
a minimum of 3 times per week.
I'm going to conclude this article the way most people would
start it, with the good news and the bad news. The bad news is,
millions of people will suffer from a mostly avoidable loss of
functionality and will become weak and frail as they age from a
severe loss of muscle mass. The good news is that you don't have
to be one of those people. One thing is very clear: it's far
easier, cheaper, and more effective to prevent sarcopenia - or
at least greatly slow its progression - than it is to treat it
later in life. Studies have found, however, that it's never too
late to start - so don't be discouraged if you are starting your
sarcopenia fighting program later in life.
About the Author: Want to gain muscle, strength, and save time
and money while doing it? Find out more at
http://www.bodybuildingrevealed.com See The Number One Science
Based Web Site On All Things Health, Bodybuilding, Fitness,
Longevity, and Weight loss: http://www.BrinkZone.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link:
By Will Brink
Nutrient considerations
There are several supplemental nutrients that should be
especially helpful for combating sarcopenia, both directly and
indirectly. Supplements that have shown promise for combating
sarcopenia are creatine, vitamin D, whey protein,
acetyl-L-carnitine, glutamine, and buffering agents such as
potassium bicarbonate.
Creatine
The muscle atrophy found in older adults comes predominantly
from a loss of fast twitch (FT) type II fibers which are
recruited during high-intensity, anaerobic movements (e.g.,
weight lifting, sprinting, etc.). Interestingly, these are
exactly the fibers creatine has the most profound effects on.
Various studies find creatine given to older adults increases
strength and lean body mass (Chrusch et al., 2001; Gotshalk et
al., 2002; Brose et al., 2003). One group concluded:
"Creatine supplementation may be a useful therapeutic strategy
for older adults to attenuate loss in muscle strength and
performance of functional living tasks."
Vitamin D
It's well established that vitamin D plays an essential role in
bone health. However, recent studies suggest it's also essential
for maintaining muscle mass in aging populations. In muscle,
vitamin D is essential for preserving type II muscle fibers,
which, as mentioned above, are the very muscle fibers that
atrophy most in aging people. Adequate vitamin D intakes could
help reduce the rates of both osteoporosis and sarcopenia found
in aging people (Montero-Odasso et al., 2005) leading the author
of one recent review on the topic of vitamin D's effects on bone
and muscle to conclude:
"In both cases (muscle and bone tissue) vitamin D plays an
important role since the low levels of this vitamin seen in
senior people may be associated to a deficit in bone formation
and muscle function"
and
"We expect that these new considerations about the importance
of vitamin D in the elderly will stimulate an innovative
approach to the problem of falls and fractures which constitutes
a significant burden to public health budgets worldwide."
Whey protein
As previously mentioned, many older adults fail to get enough
high quality protein in their diets. Whey has an exceptionally
high biological value (BV), with anti-cancer and immune
enhancing properties among its many uses. As a rule, higher
biological value proteins are superior for maintaining muscle
mass compared to lower quality proteins, which may be of
particular importance to older individuals. Finally, data
suggests "fast" digesting proteins such as whey may be superior
to other proteins for preserving lean body mass in older
individuals (Dangin et al., 2002).
Additional Nutrients of interest
There are several additional nutrients worth considering when
developing a comprehensive supplement regimen designed to
prevent and or treat sarcopenia. In no particular order, they
are: fish oils (EPA/DHA), acetyl-l-carnitine, glutamine, and
buffering agents such as potassium bicarbonate. There is good
scientific reason to believe they would be beneficial for
combating sarcopenia, but data specific to sarcopenia is
lacking. For example, EPA/DHA has been found to preserve muscle
mass (e.g. is anti-catabolic) under a wide range of
physiological conditions. The anti-inflammatory effects of fish
oils would also lead one to believe they should be of value in
the prevention or treatment of sarcopenia. In general, fish oils
have so many health benefits, it makes sense to recommend them
here.
Acetyl-l-carnitine also offers many health benefits to aging
people, and data suggests it should be useful in combating this
condition. More research specific to sarcopenia is needed
however.
Glutamine is another nutrient that should be useful in an
overall plan to combat sarcopenia. Finally, data does suggest
strongly that bicarbonate and citrate buffering agents
containing minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium
can reverse the metabolic acidosis caused by unbalanced western
diets. However, I hesitate to recommend this particular strategy
as it does not address the root cause, which is the diet itself.
Much greater health benefits will result from improving the diet
over simply adding in this supplement. In addition, there are
potential problems that could result from excessive intake of
buffer salts, such as hyperkalemia and formation of kidney
stones.
Exercise Considerations
Exercise is the lynchpin to the previous sections. Without it,
none of the above will be an effective method of
preventing/treating sarcopenia. Exercise is the essential
stimulus for systemwide release of various hormones such as GH,
as well as local growth factors in tissue, such as MGF. Exercise
is the stimulus that increases protein and bone synthesis, and
exerts other effects that combat the loss of essential muscle
and bone as we age. Exercise optimizes the effects of HRT, diet
and supplements, so if you think you can sit on the couch and
follow the above recommendations...think again.
Although any exercise is generally better then no exercise, all
forms of exercise are not created equal. You will note, for
example, many of the studies listed at the end of this article
have titles like: "GH and resistance exercise" or "creatine
effects combined with resistance exercise" and so on. Aerobic
exercise is great for the cardiovascular system and helps keep
body fat low, but when scientists or athletes want to increase
lean mass, resistance training is always the method. Aerobics
does not build muscle and is only mildly effective at preserving
the lean body mass you already have. Thus, some form of
resistance training (via weights, machines, bands, etc.) is
essential for preserving or increasing muscle mass. The CDC
report on resistance exercise for older adults summarizes it as:
"In addition to building muscles, strength training can promote
mobility, improve health-related fitness, and strengthen bones."
Combined with HRT (if indicated), dietary modifications, and
the supplements listed above, dramatic improvements in lean body
mass can be achieved at virtually any age, with improvements in
strength, functionality into advanced age, and improvements in
overall health and general well being.
Conclusion
Hopefully, the reader will appreciate that I have attempted to
cover a huge amount of territory with this topic. Each
sub-section (nutrition, hormones, etc.) could easily be its own
article if not its own book. This means each section is a
general overview vs. anything close to an exhaustive discussion.
Below is guide to web sites that offer additional information
regarding the topics covered in this article and should
(hopefully!) help fill in any gaps. To summarize, to prevent or
treat sarcopenia:
• Get adequate high quality proteins from a variety of sources
as well as adequate calories. Avoid excessive animal protein and
cereal grain intakes while increasing the intake of fruits and
vegetables.
• Get regular blood work on all major hormones after the age of
40 and discuss with a medical professional if HRT is indicated.
• Add supplements such as: creatine, vitamin D, whey protein,
acetyl-l-carnitine, glutamine, and buffering agents such as
potassium bicarbonate.
• Exercise regularly, with an emphasis on resistance training,
a minimum of 3 times per week.
I'm going to conclude this article the way most people would
start it, with the good news and the bad news. The bad news is,
millions of people will suffer from a mostly avoidable loss of
functionality and will become weak and frail as they age from a
severe loss of muscle mass. The good news is that you don't have
to be one of those people. One thing is very clear: it's far
easier, cheaper, and more effective to prevent sarcopenia - or
at least greatly slow its progression - than it is to treat it
later in life. Studies have found, however, that it's never too
late to start - so don't be discouraged if you are starting your
sarcopenia fighting program later in life.
About the Author: Want to gain muscle, strength, and save time
and money while doing it? Find out more at
http://www.bodybuildingrevealed.com See The Number One Science
Based Web Site On All Things Health, Bodybuilding, Fitness,
Longevity, and Weight loss: http://www.BrinkZone.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link:
http://www.isnare.com/?aid=466643&ca=Wellness%2C+Fitness+and+Diet
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