Scientists find out why older people cannot gain muscle as well as younger people

[BackInTheGame78]

Very interesting article. As you get older(around age 50), the signals to build muscle become weaker compared to when you are younger. This isn't overly surprising but what is of note is how this actually happens...

When you are younger, resistance training causes 150 gene expression changes that are related to building muscle. However, as you age, fewer and fewer genes get signalled...they found around age 50, only 42 of those original 150 genes are having expressions change towards building muscle.

Effectively, only a little over 1/4 of the genes related to building muscle are triggered properly.

However, they say that contrary to what some might think, it becomes MORE important to resistance train as you age rather than less.

50-year-old muscles just can’t grow big like they used to – the biology of how muscles change with age

As people age, the chemical signaling pathways in muscles become less potent, and it gets harder to build muscle and maintain strength. But the health benefits of strength training only increase with age.

www.yahoo.com

 

[DROPTOP_GTA]

Yea aging sucks.

This is a great motivator to go hard in the gym while you still can.
Better late than never.

 

[DROPTOP_GTA]

 

[Obee1]

Very interesting article. As you get older(around age 50), the signals to build muscle become weaker compared to when you are younger. This isn't overly surprising but what is of note is how this actually happens...

When you are younger, resistance training causes 150 gene expression changes that are related to building muscle. However, as you age, fewer and fewer genes get signalled...they found around age 50, only 42 of those original 150 genes are having expressions change towards building muscle.

Effectively, only a little over 1/4 of the genes related to building muscle are triggered properly.

However, they say that contrary to what some might think, it becomes MORE important to resistance train as you age rather than less.

50-year-old muscles just can’t grow big like they used to – the biology of how muscles change with age

As people age, the chemical signaling pathways in muscles become less potent, and it gets harder to build muscle and maintain strength. But the health benefits of strength training only increase with age.

www.yahoo.com

Great article. Hopefully more studies are done and we can learn more and possibly find out if gene expression can be increased. I think the more muscle mass a person goes into old age with, the higher probability they will live a longer, more productive life than someone with very little mass. Muscle mass not only keeps you stronger and reduces chances of catastrophic injury, but is important in strong bones and metabolic health. By now everyone has seen the study associating grip strength with longevity. I don't believe grip strength itself increases longevity, but it acts as a proxy for muscle mass. As Dr Peter Attia says, “Exercise is by far the most potent longevity ‘drug.’”

I think this also explains why it is so important for older people to eat a diet high in protein. By not synthesizing protein as efficiently as they once did, they should saturate the muscle to make it a target rich environment for the genes to express via protein synthesis. I don't do this often but some may think I'm a 55 year old has been. Maybe I am in a lot of ways compared to my heavy lifting days. But this is me at 55, I've been eating an animal based diet for 12 years and weight training 35 years. I'm 6'1" and and for along time I was 230-250 lbs with a 655 squat, a 510 bench, and a 710 DL. My goals have changed and it's more about longevity. I've been at 185 for about 10 years now.

 

[SargeMaximus]

Very interesting article. As you get older(around age 50), the signals to build muscle become weaker compared to when you are younger. This isn't overly surprising but what is of note is how this actually happens...

When you are younger, resistance training causes 150 gene expression changes that are related to building muscle. However, as you age, fewer and fewer genes get signalled...they found around age 50, only 42 of those original 150 genes are having expressions change towards building muscle.

Effectively, only a little over 1/4 of the genes related to building muscle are triggered properly.

However, they say that contrary to what some might think, it becomes MORE important to resistance train as you age rather than less.

50-year-old muscles just can’t grow big like they used to – the biology of how muscles change with age

As people age, the chemical signaling pathways in muscles become less potent, and it gets harder to build muscle and maintain strength. But the health benefits of strength training only increase with age.

www.yahoo.com

Is there a way to get back to the 150?

 

[sangheilios]

Stuff like this confirms a lot of the observations I've made over the many years going to the gym.

People that have been active and fit during their young years and into their adult lives tend to maintain a level of fitness well into their middle adulthood and even elderly years. This is something I've seen in many different gyms that I've been to over the years. The guys there that are in their 50s, 60s and even older that are still fit and active had lived that lifestyle for just about their entire lives.

There was a guy I used to train/hang out with at the gym that was born in 1938 that was still able to incline bench 80 lbs. for 10 reps for instance. He had good overall mobility, was able to touch his toes for instance. He also used a lot of machines though and certain exercises he naturally had a hard time with. However, someone like this was easily in the top 1% for his age.

In contrast, it's honestly very rare to see an otherwise average person that is in their 40s and older actually get fit. They might go to the gym but they don't really seem to be able to make any noticeable changes.

Sure, this applies to a ton of people that try getting into it when they are younger but it's something I've also seen a lot. It really isn't that difficult for a guy in his 20s or 30s to get into shape. Diet isn't rocket science and even just doing a handful of exercises and maybe some light cardio on the treadmill can get you decently fit lol. You don't need to follow some super strict/restrictive diet plan or some super intense training regimen that a pro athlete follows.

Side note, a lot of these older guys that are still very strong though are most likely using TRT. I've seen some stuff online lately with these powerlifters in there 70s setting records and they clearly are at minimum using TRT.

 

[Obee1]

Is there a way to get back to the 150?

Seems like a lot to ask for. I would think if one could get back to 150 then it would be the epidemy of anti aging or reverse aging altogether. I would think even increasing by 1/3 would show marked improvement. In a cursory search it appears NAD+/ NMN has shown to increase gene expression in lab test but the jury is still out. I haven't dove in enough to see what genes. Of course the very fact that the FDA is considering taking it off the shelves as a supplement tells me that it shows promise. The FDA can then pick who profits from it alas drug companies, their lobbyist, and the politicians accepting "campaign donations." But that's another post I suppose.

Loss of NAD Homeostasis Leads to Progressive and Reversible Degeneration of Skeletal Muscle - PubMed

NAD is an obligate co-factor for the catabolism of metabolic fuels in all cell types. However, the availability of NAD in several tissues can become limited during genotoxic stress and the course of natural aging. The point at which NAD restriction imposes functional limitations on tissue...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Is there a way to get back to the 150?

My guess is the more you workout, the slower the progression of that and the more likely it will stay higher than average. That's typically how the body works...it very much is "use it or lose it" in terms of what the body will spend resources on.

Likely impossible to avoid some decline, but likely able to mitigate the decline by working out regularly.

I have no proof of that, but it would go along with how the body typically operates really everywhere else.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Seems like a lot to ask for. I would think if one could get back to 150 then it would be the epidemy of anti aging or reverse aging altogether. I would think even increasing by 1/3 would show marked improvement. In a cursory search it appears NAD+/ NMN has shown to increase gene expression in lab test but the jury is still out. I haven't dove in enough to see what genes. Of course the very fact that the FDA is considering taking it off the shelves as a supplement tells me that it shows promise. The FDA can then pick who profits from it alas drug companies, their lobbyist, and the politicians accepting "campaign donations." But that's another post I suppose.

Loss of NAD Homeostasis Leads to Progressive and Reversible Degeneration of Skeletal Muscle - PubMed

NAD is an obligate co-factor for the catabolism of metabolic fuels in all cell types. However, the availability of NAD in several tissues can become limited during genotoxic stress and the course of natural aging. The point at which NAD restriction imposes functional limitations on tissue...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Don't get me started with the FDA.

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

Is there a way to get back to the 150?

steroids

 

[BillyPilgrim]

Gee, who would've thought shortened telomeres would affect the human body?

I think we need more studies. Our tax dollars are endless, we can afford this.

 

[BackInTheGame78]

Gee, who would've thought shortened telomeres would affect the human body?

I think we need more studies. Our tax dollars are endless, we can afford this.

Apparently you are creating your own conclusions based on no evidence being seen?

If that is what they found that is what they would have said. They didn't.

 

[Pierce Manhammer]

Gee, who would've thought shortened telomeres would affect the human body?

I think we need more studies. Our tax dollars are endless, we can afford this.

Tax dollars? Tufts is a private university…