Having more muscle mass improves your body composition. It even helps you look better in clothing – but that’s not the only reason to invest in pairs of dumbbells or resistance bands. Having a higher percentage of lean body mass has substantial health benefits, especially as you age. In fact, according to a new study, developing more muscle could help you live longer.
More Muscle Mass, Lower Mortality?
A new study published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine looked at the relationship between body composition and mortality. This study found a link between muscle mass index (the amount of muscle carried on your body relative to height) and mortality. It showed people in the highest percentile of muscle mass index enjoyed a lower risk for mortality relative to those in the bottom percentile.
This study doesn’t prove a causal link between muscle mass and lower mortality, it just shows there’s a correlation – an intriguing one at that. Plus, there is evidence that having more muscle is beneficial from a health standpoint.
Still another study tracked BMI (body mass index) and muscle mass on 3,600 seniors over a 10-year period. The best predictor of who was still alive a decade later wasn’t BMI but how much muscle mass the seniors had. Seniors with higher percentages of lean body mass seemed to have a survival advantage.
More Muscle Mass Means Less Risk of Disability
Sure, most people would like to live to a ripe old age as long as their quality of life is high. Too many people enter the second half of life with poor cardiovascular fitness, a high percentage of body fat relative to muscle and a bone density that’s lower than it should be. With age, the problem becomes worse.
If they haven’t tried to correct the problem through resistance training and aerobic exercise, they enter the later years of life unable to do the things they had hoped to do once they retired. Just as you invest in your financial future and build up a “nest egg” for retirement, you have to maintain the stamina, strength, and power necessary to pursue your dreams after you retire. Exercise is the best way to do that.
Gradual loss of muscle mass, a process that begins after thirty, is a major cause of disability in seniors. Combine that with loss of bone mass leading to osteoporosis and you create a “perfect storm” of factors that put you at high risk for falling and fracturing a hip. Keep in mind that hip fractures have a high mortality rate due to blood clots and other complications.
The Epidemic of Sarcopenia
Sarcopenia, loss of muscle tissue due to aging, is an epidemic in the United States. With age, not only do most people lose muscle mass, they gain body fat. As people age, they have more fat and less muscle to carry it around. No wonder disability is such a common problem as people age!
Here’s the good news. It’s never too late to begin building the body you want to take you into the second half of life. You can develop muscle at any age, as proven by resistance training studies carried out in nursing homes. Some of the residents that were wheelchair bound were able to stand up and walk around after taking part in a resistance training program. Research shows a 70-year old that does high-intensity resistance training can be as strong as a 20-year-old who doesn’t.
Other Ways Having More Muscle Puts You at a Health Advantage
One of the biggest risk factors for age-related health problems like heart disease is insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a condition where cells become less responsive to the blood-sugar-lowering effects of insulin. Insulin resistance increases the risk of health issues like obesity, type 2-diabetes, and heart disease. At least one study shows insulin resistance is an independent risk factor for mortality in people without diabetes.
What does this have to do with body composition and muscle mass? A 2011 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism showed people who have more muscle mass are less likely to suffer from the ill effects of insulin resistance. In fact, across the full range of BMIs, a higher ratio of muscle to total body size was associated with a lower risk for insulin resistance and pre-diabetes.
Some research shows even overweight and obese people can be metabolically healthy. Most likely these would be obese and overweight people that have more muscle mass.
Regardless of BMI, having more muscle mass offers health benefits.
Carrying more muscle mass could even help you survive if you have a critical illness or injury. A study published in the journal Clinical Care showed the amount of muscle mass a person has upon admission to a critical care unit is directly related to their survival. Weak, scrawny people are less likely to survive an injury or catastrophic illness. Muscle mass is a pretty good thing to have, regardless of age!
The Bottom Line
Building muscle mass through resistance training and good nutrition can lower your risk for age-related health problems like insulin resistance. It may also give you a longevity advantage, based on some research. It’s never too late to enjoy the benefits of building lean body mass through weight training.
References:
On Fitness. July/Aug 2014. “More Muscle Mass Means Less Risk of Dying Early”
Medscape.com. “Muscle Mass Linked to Risk for Insulin Resistance ”
“Insulin Resistance Predicts Mortality in Non-Diabetic Persons in the United States Diabetes Care” March 3, 2010.
Science Daily. “Increased muscle mass may lower risk of pre-diabetes: Study shows building muscle can lower person’s risk of insulin resistance”
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2011; DOI: 10.1210/jc.2011-0435.
Critical Care 2014, 18:110 (17 February 2014)
Scientific American. “Muscle Mass Beats BMI as Longevity Predictor”
Related Articles By Cathe:
How Do You Know if You’re Gaining Muscle When You Strength Train?
Is Resistance Training Better Than High-Impact Aerobics for Bone Health?
Can You Build Muscle Size Through Aerobic Exercise?
Do Women Respond to Strength Training in the Same Way as Men?
Does Weight Training Boost The Release Of Growth Hormone?
What Role Does Hydration Play in Boosting Muscle Hypertrophy?
Why Strength Training Can Add Muscle Mass and Years to Your Life
Surprise! Bone and Muscle Performance Are Connected
Related Cathe Friedrich Workout DVDs:
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All of Cathe’s Strength & Toning Workout DVDs
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