3-Step Plan HALTS Age-Related Muscle Loss
Women can experience shocking muscle mass loss after menopause.
You see, estrogen supports muscle mass and strength. So, as your estrogen levels decrease… so do your muscles. In fact, women typically lose about five pounds of muscle every 10 years.
This doesn’t just impact your ability to carry the groceries. Decreasing muscle increases your risk of frailty, disability, loss of independence, and even an early death.
Of course, to fight against muscle loss you need strength training.
But this common nutrient amplifies those exercise benefits so you can make the most of every move.
For this study, 20 women, averaging 65 years old, did two weekly strength training sessions. Half also took 2,820 mg of omega-3-rich fish oil (EPA 0.7 grams and DHA 0.24 grams) daily.
As you would expect, after eight weeks, all of the women experienced improvements in physical function.
However, the participants taking the fish oil also had significantly greater improvements in:
- grip strength
- blood pressure
- triglycerides
- inflammation
But the benefits didn’t end there. Those in the fish oil group also had greater improvements in muscle health markers.
None of the participants had done strength training before the study, so these results highlight that it’s never too late to reap the rewards of strength training.
However, they also reveal that boosting omega-3 levels can amplify those benefits.
But strength training is just one piece of the muscle-preservation puzzle. Proper nutrition—particularly adequate protein intake—works with exercise and omega-3s to maintain and build muscle mass.
In addition to regular exercise and plenty of omega-3s, most postmenopausal women should eat far more protein than they are.
Average adults are told to aim for 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. For a person who weighs 175 pounds, for example, that comes to 63 grams of protein daily.
However, active older adults, including postmenopausal women, should aim for at least 0.45 grams. So, the same 175-pound person should shoot for 78.75 grams daily.
Start improving your muscle strength today with this simple three-step plan:
Strength Training: Start with two weekly sessions of basic resistance exercises, such as chair squats, wall pushups, or lightweight dumbbell exercises. Even 20 to 30 minutes is effective.
Omega-3 Support: The best way to boost omega-3s is through natural food sources. These include low-mercury fish like wild salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, shellfish, and shrimp. A three-ounce serving of fatty fish contains between 0.5 to 2 grams of fish oil. If you aren’t getting enough omega-3s through diet, you can choose a high EPA/DHA supplement from a trusted manufacturer.
Boost Your Protein: Aim for around 0.45 grams per pound of body weight, spread throughout the day. Include a protein source with each meal.
Combining these three strategies creates a powerful approach to maintaining muscle and independence as you age.
P.S. Are you aging normally? This study suggests otherwise.
View Sources
Lee S-R, Directo D. Fish Oil Supplementation with Resistance Exercise Training Enhances Physical Function and Cardiometabolic Health in Postmenopausal Women. Nutrients. 2023; 15(21):4516.
