Muscle atrophy is a functional decline characterized mainly by the decay of skeletal muscle mass and strength. Muscle mass directly affects various daily functions of the body.
The incidence of senescent muscle atrophy is on the rise, endangering the health of the elderly and reducing their quality of life.
There are studies showing that age-related muscle degeneration begins to accelerate around age 50. It is particularly important for the elderly to use reasonable methods to delay muscle atrophy.
Delaying muscle atrophy requires both “eating” and “moving”.
To “eat “good””
As they age, the appetite of the elderly decreases, which tends to lead to insufficient protein intake and poor quality of protein, especially those who do not eat meat or eat very little meat, thus causing body wasting and reduced skeletal muscle mass.
Therefore, the elderly should pay attention to the adequate intake of protein, especially high-quality protein.
The “Reference Intake of Dietary Nutrients for Asian Residents (2023)” recommends that the recommended protein intake for the elderly is 65 grams per day for men and 55 grams for women.
Due to the reduced ability of the elderly to synthesize proteins by themselves, the digestive and absorption capacity of the gastrointestinal tract and the weakened liver and kidney function, endocrine metabolism changes Women show a marked increase in urinary calcium .
Protein ingested by the elderly should be guaranteed to be sufficient and of high quality, among which Quality proteins “Quality” should account for at least half of the total protein intake.
The main sources of high-quality protein are animal foods, such as eggs, milk and milk products, poultry, livestock and fish.
Specific recommendations for the elderly regarding what to eat are as follows:
1. Eat 5～7 eggs per week
2. Drink at least 300 ml of milk and dairy products every day
3. Choose more fish, shrimp and poultry, and eat less pork with high fat content
4. Soy products such as tofu are rich in protein and of high quality. You can eat tofu and other soy products once a day.
5. Regularly eat foods with high n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content, such as marine fish, seaweed and other seafood. Scientific research results show that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids help improve the function of muscle neurons in the body and reduce muscle damage and fatigue.
6. Regularly eat foods with high vitamin D content, such as animal liver.
Move
Elderly people can try to do some outdoor activities that suit them according to their health and physical mobility, and reduce sitting and bed rest.
Elderly people should pay attention to what they can do when exercising, step by step, optional Walking, Grand Ultimate, etc Slow and fused movement styles and types. During exercise, special attention needs to be paid to safety, not to strenuous exercise, and to prevent bruises, falls, etc.
When exercising outdoors, the exposure of sunlight also helps to promote the body Vitamin D Synthesis, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and muscle decay in the elderly.
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