Preserving muscle becomes more important with age

One of the most overlooked aspects of nutrition, especially for adults over 40, is eating to preserve muscle.
Muscle plays a serious role in maintaining strength, metabolism, balance, injury prevention, and overall independence. However, what many people do not realize is that muscle loss begins earlier than expected.

Adults begin losing muscle mass as early as their 30s if they are not actively working to maintain it. This can gradually reduce strength and functional ability over time. The combination of regular strength training and proper nutrition is one of the most effective ways to slow or even reverse this process.

While exercise often receives most of the attention, nutrition plays an equally important role.
Maintaining muscle helps in movements such as climbing stairs, carrying groceries, getting up from the floor, and preventing falls. It’s not all about physical appearance or athletic performance.

Muscle tissue also supports metabolism, helps the body regulate blood sugar and maintain healthy body fat. As muscle mass decreases, many adults notice a decrease in energy and difficulty maintaining weight and strength.

I’ve spoken about protein in my the last few articles and how it’s one of the primary nutrients responsible for building and maintaining muscle. As people age, the body becomes less efficient at using protein to support muscle repair and growth. Older adults usually require higher protein intake than younger individuals.

One of the main mistakes people make is consuming most of their daily protein at dinner. The body benefits more when protein is spread out throughout the day. Eating protein consistently helps with muscle repair, energy levels, and helps appetite control.

Common protein sources include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products such as Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, beans, legumes, and protein supplements when appropriate. Try incorporating protein as almost half of each meal.

Many adults under-eat in an effort to stay healthy or maintain weight. While counting calories can be beneficial, consistently consuming too few nutrients, especially protein, can increase muscle loss and reduce strength.

Exercise alone is often not enough to maintain muscle long term. Strength training sends a signal to the body to preserve and build muscle, but protein and overall nutrition provide the resources necessary to support that process to preserve and build.

Adults who combine regular resistance training with adequate protein intake often see improvements in strength, recovery, balance, and overall health.

Eating to preserve muscle does not require extreme diets or complicated meal plans as many people think. Simple habits such as including a protein source with each meal and being consistent with eating patterns can have significant long-term benefits.

As we’re living longer than ever before, most of us don’t just want more years - we want good years. Years where we can move with ease, stay independent, and keep doing the things we love. One of the simplest and most powerful ways to make that happen is by taking care of our muscles. Through consistent movement and nourishing food, we can maintain a high quality of life.

Chad Cannon is a health & fitness coach, success coach and owner of the CannonFit Transformation Center in Bluffton. www.cannonfit.com