[이데일리 이순용 기자] Loss of muscle in the elderly is considered a natural phenomenon, so little attention is paid to it. However, since muscle cells have a very large effect on overall health, it is necessary to focus on maintaining muscle mass.
Professor Lee Byung-hoon of the orthopedic surgery department at Gachon University Gil Hospital explained that ‘sarcopenia’, which is a marked loss of muscle mass, may occur with age, and that muscle mass should be managed as it has a large impact on overall health.
Professor Lee Byung-hoon said, “Aging-related muscle loss has become a medical concern since ‘Irwin Rosenberg’ first used the term ‘sarcopenia’ in 1989. It is registered in the International Classification of Disease ICD and is classified as a kind of disease, not aging.”
Sarcopenia can be divided into primary, which is primary, and secondary, which is secondary. Primary sarcopenia proceeds with aging itself, and secondary sarcopenia occurs due to disease, decreased physical activity, nutritional intake or malabsorption.
As you age, your body’s muscle mass decreases. Atrophy and loss of rapidly contracting muscle fibers occur, and the number and size of muscle fibers themselves decrease. Muscle mass naturally decreases due to changes in the microstructure of muscle cells and muscle fibers. In addition, due to aging, various bodily functions decline, leading to the death of muscle cells due to chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and increased insulin resistance. Therefore, the progress of aging and the decrease in muscle mass are proportional.
However, loss of muscle mass should not be taken for granted due to aging. Loss of muscle mass leads to decreased muscle function, which leads to decreased physical functions such as falls, which increases the risk of injury. It can also lead to decreased bone density. In addition, when muscle mass decreases, the basal metabolic rate decreases, which leads to obesity and visceral obesity.
Professor Lee said, “It is muscle strength exercise that can prevent sarcopenia. The effect of strength exercise is not only to change external appearance and improve performance, but also prevent and treat chronic diseases, so it is important for elderly people with chronic diseases. It is being emphasized,” he said. He added, “As a result of a survey on elderly chronically ill patients in the famous academic journal ‘Lancet’, it was also reported that strength training can replace drug use for diseases such as high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and angina.”
Strength training offers several health benefits. First of all, the effect of improving blood flow can be expected. This prevents vascular diseases such as high blood pressure, myocardial infarction, and angina pectoris, and reduces the risk of arrhythmias or sudden death through smooth coordination of the autonomic nervous system. In addition, diabetes can be controlled by lowering insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia can be treated. Strength training has a positive effect on longevity genes related to apoptosis, thereby preventing aging.
In particular, it has been confirmed that strength training can prevent cancer. A protein called ‘calprotectin’ secreted from muscle is known to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. In a study published in ‘Leukoc Biology’ in 1995, exercise was also verified to prevent cancer, including colorectal cancer.
The effects of strength training that have been proven so far include ▲ prevention of cardiovascular disease, ▲ treatment of high blood pressure, ▲ prevention and treatment of arrhythmias, ▲ prevention of colorectal cancer, ▲ longevity, ▲ control of diabetes, ▲ treatment of hyperlipidemia, ▲ anticancer effect, ▲ treatment of depression, and ▲ prevention of falls.
Adequate fluid intake is also very important to prevent sarcopenia due to aging. Muscles contain a lot of water and act as a reservoir of water where water movement can occur at any time. Therefore, if dehydration continues, muscle loss can accelerate, so it is important to keep the recommended daily water intake.
Professor Lee said, “In old age, people become vulnerable to dehydration due to a decrease in the thirst control central function and a decrease in renal function. “Chronic dehydration caused by this reason leads to a decrease in muscle function and a decrease in efficiency, so it is important to consume an appropriate amount of water.”
