Muscle Health

Also known asSarcopenia · Muscle Loss · Muscle Mass · Muscle Strength · Muscle Wasting · Frailty · 肌少症 · 肌肉健康 · 肌肉流失

What it is

From about the age of 40 we lose muscle mass and strength, and the loss speeds up after 65. When it becomes severe it is called sarcopenia, and it raises the risk of falls, fractures, hospital stays and loss of independence. Illness, inactivity, poor appetite and too little protein all speed it up.

How food and lifestyle can help

Two things matter most: resistance (strength) exercise two to three times a week, and enough protein. Older adults need more protein per kilo than younger adults, roughly 1.0 to 1.2 g per kg of body weight a day, ideally spread over the day rather than all at dinner.

Foods and nutrients to focus on

1. A serving of protein at each meal (about 25 to 30 g): eggs, fish, poultry, lean meat, dairy, tofu, tempeh and beans.
2. Enough total energy: unintended weight loss costs muscle.
3. Oily fish and vitamin D, which support muscle function.
4. Fruit and vegetables, and fluids.

Foods and drinks to limit

1. Skipping meals, crash dieting and very low-calorie diets, which burn muscle.
2. Heavy alcohol use.
3. Long periods of sitting or bed rest.

Good to know

1. Protein advice is different if you have advanced kidney disease: check with your kidney team first (see Kidney Disease).
2. Resistance exercise can be done at home with bands, body weight or light weights, and works well even in your 80s and 90s. See Exercise.
3. Protein powders are not needed if you eat enough protein foods.

When to see a doctor

1. Unintentional weight loss, new weakness, trouble getting up from a chair, slow walking or falls.
2. Poor appetite that lasts more than a few weeks.
3. Muscle pain or weakness after starting a new medicine.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition or take medicines, check changes to your diet with your doctor or a registered dietitian.

WHO — Ageing and health, used for the main facts: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ageing-and-health