By Dr Shweta Patil
Aging is inevitable, but losing the quality of life is not. All it takes is mindful living from the start. A little understanding of the process of aging will help in prevention of so-called effects of aging which are generally accepted as ‘inevitable’. Firstly, I’ll describe some changes that take place in the body with age. Then, I’ll describe what can be done to reduce these effects.
As we age, sarcopenia sets in, which is loss of muscle strength, loss of muscle mass and loss in muscle quality. After 30 years of age, with every 10 years, there’s 3-8 percent loss of strength and muscle mass. Strength is lost faster than mass. This is accelerated by hospitalization, immobilization, sedentary lifestyle and nutrient deficient diet. With one week of bed rest, a young adult loses 150g of lean muscle, whereas an older adult loses 600g of lean muscle.
Other changes that set in with age are infiltration of fats into the muscle cells, increased breakdown of protein, reduced intake of protein due to loss of appetite etc, insensitivity of muscle cells to insulin, and digestion and absorption of protein is altered. Older people lose more muscle mass during hospitalization compared to the young, because they are already losing muscle owing to age, there’s raised cortisol level, and there’s increased rate of inflammation.
All these are preventable and can look younger for age, with balanced/nutrient dense diet, increased protein intake, weight training and cardio exercises.
Exercise in old age requires at least 2-3 days per week of muscle strengthening exercises, 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise. Older people with poor mobility should exercise for at least 3 or more days per week. After bed rest, to regain 600g of muscle in 1 week, they should engage in intense resistance exercise and nutrition for 3 months.
Protein intake should be higher in elderly than that of younger age. The recommended protein intake per day in younger people is 0.8g/kg body weight, whereas in elderly it is 1.2g/kg. Protein intake should be divided in all meals throughout the day. No meals should go without protein.
With little sensibility, not only can the quality of life be improved, but diseases and morbidity can be prevented.
(The author is a doctor in Sohra)
