Muscle loss as you age can be stopped

Q: I seem to be losing muscle mass. I am 58.

What can I do to make my muscles stronger and healthier? — Janice G., Springfield, Massachusetts

A: Around age 30, the signals in your body that build up muscle (the anabolic response) begin to fade and the signals to reduce the size of the muscle (the catabolic response) become the stronger messenger. As a result, less muscle is built.

But it is never too late to battle this trend and resist the decline in muscle tone and strength that can accompany aging.

New research has discovered that physical activity builds and maintains strength and tone, in part, by clearing out potentially harmful, worn-out proteins from your muscles and increasing the creation of new muscle-building proteins that allow cells to function at a more youthful level.

Enjoy strength training two or three times weekly for 20-30 minutes.

Aerobics are most powerful when you do interval training. Your goal: 300 minutes a week.

Nutrition can also help fight muscle loss. The best move: Increase protein intake.

Q: Being stuck at home has sapped my energy. I feel so lethargic. What can I do to get charged up again? — John F., New York City

A: It may seem ironic, but the more activity you do the less fatigued you’ll feel — and the less you do, the more tired you become. So it’s important to shake off the low-grade depression that you might have from the corona siege and get yourself to do yoga, follow an online routine for a step class, ride a stationary bicycle, do strength training with bands, or go outside and walk 10,000 steps.

Other energy boosters include:

1. Staying hydrated.

A study in the Journal of Nutrition found that being just 1.36 percent dehydrated made tasks harder to do, worsened mood, decreased the ability to concentrate and caused headache symptoms. The Cleveland Clinic advises drinking two glasses of water when you wake up in the morning to improve alertness.

2. Eating frequently.

Have three small meals a day—at10a.m.,2p.m.and 6 p.m. — instead of two or three larger ones. And eat most of your food in your first two meals.

3. Reducing stress. When you’re chronically stressed, your body cranks out hormones that cause an elevated heart rate and rapid breathing. Meditation daily can dispel stress and help you regain energy.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.