If you want to have healthy muscles when you’re older, the key is working them out now, according to a new study.
Published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, the study compared world-class track and field athletes in their 80s with non-athletes of the same age. It found that people who were elite athletes in their youth or later in life have much healthier muscles at the cellular level compares to those of non-athletes.
The elderly athletes’ legs were 25% stronger, 14% larger, and had one-third more motor units. (Motor units consist of nerve and muscle fibers – more motor units mean more muscle mass and greater strength).
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As we age, our nervous system naturally loses motor neurons, which leads to a loss of motor units—and this can begin as early as in our 30s and peaks after the age of 60.
Of course, it’s hard to tell whether it was the athletes’ training that changed their muscle health over the years or if they were just blessed with good genes from the get-go. But the researchers believe exercise improves the function of our muscle units as we grow older. And really – do we even need another reason to exercise?
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Curated article from:
Journal of Applied Physiology
NY Times
