The Crossroad 30s

Most men in their 30s wouldn’t classify themselves as ‘ageing’, and they’re mostly right. But that can lead to complacency, which plays into the hands of sarcopenia, AKA age-related muscle loss. From your third to your eighth decade, you can lose 30 per cent of your muscle mass and some of your total cross-sectional fibre area, mostly in your fast-twitch type 2 fibres. So, during this decade it pays to redress the slide, with frequent visits to the weights room, or playing a strength-based sport, because losing muscle will slow your metabolic rate and make it more likely that you will put on fat. Your 30s are also a great time to get into good habits that will support your body goals throughout your life. Poor technique can lead to compensation issues in the future. Improving your physical condition, so your body performs better and fatigues less in the long run, should be prioritised. And improving your abilities to keep moving, lifting and carrying objects will make it easier for you to preserve muscle mass – something you should definitely look into, because it decreases as we age (somewhere around three to five per cent per decade).

Consistent training trumps boom-and-bust programmes, whether you’re looking to add lean muscle or get a faster 10k time. And beware low-fat or overly restrictive diets, because an imbalance in the amount of protein, fat and carbs you’re eating can reduce your testosterone levels, making muscle loss even more likely – as proven by a study into twins, published in Genetic Epidemiology.

When it comes to cardio, your VO2 Max does

decline as you age, but there are so many other adaptations to endurance exercise that occur over time, that you’re likely to see your long-distance/ long-duration performance improve in your 30s. And in any case, a Journal of Physiology study showed that you can halve the decline in your VO2 Max through consistent endurance training.