Sarcopenia— Out of the Duff Zone into the Buff Zone
INTEGRATIVE CARE
Jack Tips
As baby boomers embrace their golden years, sarcopenia, or age-related muscle and strength loss, is a monumental issue. Not because older people wish to look buff and fit (certainly they do), but because muscle metabolism is a prune factor in every key aspect of health. Loss of strength is directly linked to higher mortality rates.1 Statistics vary, but currently 18 to 50% of people over 60 years old have sarcopenia with 20% being functionally disabled. Healthcare cost of sarcopenia2 is set at $18.5 billion.3
There is a huge opportunity for natural health clinicians to address this “non-disease” phenomenon as foundational to cellular metabolism and brain regulation. Helping people with sarcopenia is clearly not treating a disease, yet sarcopenia is both causative and contr ibutive to the metabolic (chronic degenerative) diseases arising after age 50, e.g., mitochondrial diseases that affect wholebody health, and here’s why.
First, let’s not think of muscles as “isolated.” Let’s consider muscles as a collective organ system, interconnected via the nerves, brain, and intracellular' life processes. Muscles ar e as vital to life as tlie brain, liver, microbiome, and heart. Why? Because muscles are a critical, determining factor in:
• Glucose metabolism - heart/cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s all have insulin resistance components
• Brain signaling and rate of neurodegeneration (all nerve processes)
• Protein syntheses - cellular' transcription and creation of tissue performance factors
• Lipid metabolism - cell membrane integrity and rate of ATP synthesis for energy
• Calcium metabolism - essential for heart and bone health
• VitaminD3/K2 activity - impacts thousands of cellular metabolic processes
• Cellular aging processes within the body.
In this regard, muscles have powerful input into a person’s core health.
Sarcopenia is a grandiose way of stating what errantly appears to be an obvious cost of living—muscles and strength decline with
^ ^ More muscle equals more metabolic engines for metabolic (hormone and tissue performance) balance. ï Ï
age. We think that we see this in professional sports when heroes start to lose a step on younger competitors. We see this in nature when the young lion swats the ears off the old alpha and takes over the pride. Obvious, eh?
Not so fast, says the new science.4 Research is now breaking the myth of muscle decline with “there is a way to preserve both muscle mass and strength as we age.” The interesting aspect is that sar copenia, like virtually all health concerns, rests firmly on diet and exercise.5 Based on my clinical experience, supplementation is the third essential aspect required to reverse existing sarcopenia.
If our perspective of health follows the medical “disease model,” we average all of the sick people and call it “normal.” In that model, sar copenia exists and runs at an inevitably predictable pace6 —3 to 5% a year, so for some, it only takes 10 year s to be 50% weaker. But if our perspective of health adheres to nature’s design, we have healthy elder bodies with excellent musculature, no bulging bellies, and good strength as the benchmark.
So what about the sports heroes who lose their edge? Objectively, we must examine the impact of injuries and other factors (lifestyle, quality of diet, acquired toxins, pesticides, prescription drags), quality of sleep, and the many considerations of modem debate. Thus, sarcopenia is multifactorial. But the message is becoming clear'—human beings do not have to become weak with age.
Nature’s prime directive that governs the body’s innate vitality—adapt to survive and express the most optimal health possible—dictates healthy and fit elder years provided that the individual lives in accord with natural law, which is what the natural health perspective debates daily because diet, exercise, supplements, and health practices are individually determined, not one-size-fits-all endeavors.
Here’s an overview for maintaining muscles and reversing sarcopenia, thus improving life expectancy, overall health, libido, and cognition.
Exercise
Good news! Health does not require a lot of exercise,7 but it does need to occur throughout the day, not all at one time. An “active couch potato” is one who exercises for 30 minutes and then sits all day (clinicians at a desk). Sadly, that does not preclude sarcopenia.
In my research, the body requires four types of exercise to remedy sarcopenia: 1) stretching (yoga); 2) rolling (foam roller) or massage; 3) resistance (weights); and 4) interval (cardio) training. A little of each during a day makes a huge difference. Here’s some insights.
Stretching reverses the contractive pull of muscles. As any yogi will tell you, it’s really terrific exercise. In sarcopenia, it’s absolutely essential to avoid injuries. People with sarcopenia should engage in four to six weeks of focused stretching before progressing to other exercises as it initiates the reversal process and helps avoid injury setbacks. Good stretching means perspiration and increased heart rate.
Rolling squishes the deep sore spots that represent congestion and neuro-amnesia, e.g., areas that the brain has forgotten
about—if you don’t use it, you lose it. Discovering soreness sends a signal to the brain to wake up, get engaged, and re-enliven those muscles.8
Weight resistance increases muscle function9 and helps prevent cardiovascular disease.10 It also helps maintain bone calcification and strength.11
Interval Training is a form of cardio exercise where the person goes all out for 45 seconds (treadmill, jumping jacks), then rests and repeats a few times. This improves cell receptor insulin sensitivity and mitochochondrial biogenesis.12 Studies demonstrate that interval training reverses aging and sarcopenia.13
Supplements
As a clinical nutritionist, I firmly believe in the value of supplements. Here’s some key nutrition considerations.
Protein
To build muscles, one must increase protein intake into the cells. Usually this means increasing dietary protein correctly (the bell curve applies)—both not enough and too much cause poor results. Organic, grass-fed whey (goat/cow) is excellent, and so aie branched-chain amino acid supplements. They all provide the amino acid, 1-Leucine, which activates anabolic muscle metabolism via the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin—the muscle-building pathway) and satellite cells (cells that initiate
muscle to build muscles in the wake of exercise.
HMB (ß-hydroxy ß-methylbuterate) Research is optimistic that this metabolite of 1-Leucine influences strength and lean body mass by acting as an anticatabolic agent, minimizing cellular protein and damage that occurs with
intense exercise.14 Leucine can only convert 5% of its molecules to HMB, so supplementation is the only method to increase levels to clinical doses.
Sarcopenia-Reversal Protein Formula 1. Determine Lean Body Mass 100 minus % body fat = % LBM 2. Multiply % LBM by current weight 3. = LBM 4. Apply .5 g protein rule (thus divide by 2) 5. = g protein/day
Creatine
Anitrogenous organic acid found in muscle tissue. Science says supplementing with creatine significantly increases muscle strength and mass when accompanied by resistance training.15 More muscle equals more metabolic engines for metabolic (hormone and tissue performance) balance.
Nicotinamide riboside (NR)
A form of Vitamin B3 used by every cell to communicate between the nucleus and the mitochondria that make adenosine triphosphate (ATP—the energy of life) and activates the sirtuin-1 longevity gene.16 Low levels of NR ai e found in neuro-cognitive dysfunction. Building muscle mass requires massive amounts of ATP.
Other considerations include the health of the gut microbiome (set point of chronic inflammation), méthylation processes (required for muscle building), Vitamin D3 and K2 levels, and intracellular glutathione levels. These nutritional topics aie not exclusive to muscle building, but if deficient will impair results.
Beyond the cliché of diet and exercise, people experiencing sarcopenia should engage the four exercise categories daily (just a couple of minutes between appointments!); eat a wholesome diet of fl esh, organic (non-GMO) fats, proteins, and vegetables; and employ supplements as directives to the body to express its more optimal blueprint.
Contrary to uninformed popular perspectives, sarcopenia is avoidable and reversible. Doing so improves mental, emotional, and physical trends away from aging diseases and mitochondrial dysfunction. “The human body is not designed to retire—ever! Instead, it must actively engage life, regardless of age. Movement, a prime characteristic of life, is essential for whole-body health and a primary disease-preventative mediator.” - WellnessWiz Jack Tips
References: 1. Saka B. et al, Malnutrition and sarcopenia are associated with increased mortality rate in nursing home residents: A prospective study, European Geriatric Medicine, Volume 7, Issue 3,232 - 238 2. Brown JC, Harhay MO, Harhay MN. Sarcopenia and mortality among a population based sample of community dwelling older adults. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle. 2016; 7(3):290-298. doi:10.1002/jcsm. 12073.
Janssen I, Shepard DS, Katzmarzyk PT, Roubenoff R The healthcare costs of sarcopenia in the United States. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004 Jan;52(l):80-5.
4. Wroblewski AP et al. Chronic Exercise Preserves Lean Muscle Mass In Masters Athletes, Physician & Sportsmedicine, Sept, 2011; 39(3); 172-178
5. Tuomilehto J, Lindstrom J, Eriksson JG, et al. Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus by changes in lifestyle among subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. N Engl JMed. 2001; 344:1343-50.
6. Keller K, Engelhardt M. Strength and muscle mass loss with aging process. Age and strength loss. Muscles, Ligaments and Tendons Journal. 2013;3(4):346-350.
7. Grcn’es J, Pollock Met al, Effect of Reduced Training Frequency on Muscular Strength, Center for Exercise Science, College of Medicine and College of Health and Human Performance, University of Florida
8. Knierim, J Neuroanatomy Online, Motor Units and Muscle Receptors, Dept of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins Univ& University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
9. RoubenoffR Hughes V, Sarcopenia: Current Concepts, J of Gerontology, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences January 2001 DOI: 10.1093/gerona 55.12.M716
10. Braith R, Stewart K, Resistance Exercise Training: Its Role in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, Circulation, J Am Heart Asso, 2006; 113;2642-2650 DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULAHONAHA.105.584060
11. Nikander Ret. al., Targeted exercise against osteoporosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis for optimising bone strength throughout life BMC Medicine20108:47 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7015-8-47
12. Babraj J, et al. Extremely short duration high intensity interval training substantially improves insulin action in young healthy males, BMC (BioMed Central) Endocrine Disorders 20099:3 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6823-9-3
13. Zembroh-Lacny A, Dziubek W, Rogowski L, Skorupka E, Dqbrowska G. Sarcopenia: monitoring, molecular mechanisms, and physical intervention. Physiol Res. 2014;63(6):683-91. Epub 2014 Aug 26.
14. Slater GJ, Jenkins D. Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation and the promotion of muscle growth and strength. Sports Med. 2000 Aug;30(2):105-16.
15. Dalbo VJ, The effects of age on skeletal muscle and the phosphocreatine energy system: can creatine supplementation help older adults, Dynamic Medicine, 2009, Vol 8, No 1
16. Imai S, Guarente L, NAD+ and sirtuins in aging and disease. Trends Cell Biol. 2014 Aug;24(8):464-71. doi: 10.1016/j. tcb.2014.04.002. Epub 2014 Apr 29.
17. Buford T, KreiderR, Stout J, International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation and exercise, J. Ini 7 Society of Sports Nutrition, 2007, Volume 4, Number 1, Page 6
É Wellness Wiz Jack Tips, PhD, CCN, CHom has 35 years in clinical practice and is the author of 16 books on natural health solutions. Discovering that, despite optimal diet and supplementation, he developed sarcopenia due to an “active couch potato ” lifestyle of exercising three times a week before sitting all day at work, he ’s experienced a rapid reversal based on his alliance with Dr. Ben Anderson, DC, and insights from the University of Texas Athletic Program. His personal research and journey to regain basic (not beefed up) muscle mass and physical stability is chronicled in an advertisement free article to download atwww.wellnesswiz.com.
