To ease the negative health effects associated with muscle loss among the nation’s aging population, a Tainan-based doctor recommends protein, vitamin D and exercise to prevent and deal with sarcopenia.
About 20 percent of Taiwan’s population is to be older than 65 by 2025, making it an aged society and presenting a variety of health issues. Among them is sarcopenia, a type of muscle loss associated with age.
In the US and some European countries, research has shown that 5 to 13 percent of those aged 60 to 70 have sarcopenia, said Wu Chun-feng (吳俊鋒), director of family medicine at Kuo General Hospital, adding that the figure rises to as high as half of people aged 80 or older.
In Taiwan, 3.9 to 7.3 percent of people 65 or older experience muscle loss, he said.
According to diagnostic guidelines by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia, of which Taiwan is a member, those with reduced muscle mass and either reduced mobility or muscle strength are considered to have sarcopenia, Wu said.
If associated with age alone without another cause, the condition is called primary sarcopenia, while secondary sarcopenia develops depending on additional factors such as disease, nutrition and physical activity, he said.
Most cases are caused by multiple conditions or risk factors and cannot be explained by a single cause, Wu added.
Due to lower muscle strength and poor limb functionality, people with sarcopenia often appear fatigued and unstable, making them more likely to fall and injure themselves, he said.
Research has also found a correlation with diabetes and metabolic syndrome, he added.
Sarcopenic obesity, when a person is both obese and has atrophied muscles, can lead to cardiovascular problems, metabolic syndrome, reduced bone density and other conditions, increasing the risk of disability and death, Wu added.
Protein and vitamin D could help prevent sarcopenia and improve the lives of those who have the condition, he said.
A person weighing 60kg should eat 60g to 72g of protein per day, the equivalent of about 10 servings of meat, he said.
Protein that is rich in the amino acid leucine is beneficial to muscle growth, Wu said, recommending milk, soybeans, chicken, fish, lean meat and peanuts.
Sunlight helps improve vitamin D levels, as do fish, eggs, dairy, mushrooms and grains, he added.
Aerobic exercise three to five times per week for at least 30 minutes per session, such as brisk walking and bicycling, also improves muscle health, he said.
Wu also recommended weight training twice a week, such as lifting dumbbells or stretching elastic ropes 10 to 15 times per session.
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