Top 3 Nutrients for Age-Related Muscle Loss

Fight back against sarcopenia

If you’re not taking steps to BOOST your muscle mass—or at least to MAINTAIN it—then I’ve got bad news for you: 

You’re LOSING it. 

After you reach 50, you lose about one percent of your muscle mass every year. 

After 60, it jumps to three percent per year. 

It snowballs after age 75, dramatically boosting your risk of falls, fractures, loss of independence, and an early demise. 

In fact, how much muscle mass you have can predict how long you’re going to live (Hint: more mass = longer life). 

In addition to actively using your muscles on a regular basis, here are three key nutrients that can help protect your muscle mass as you get older. 

The first and second compounds are green tea catechins and cocoa flavanols. These are types of plant compounds called flavonoids that are found in fruit, vegetables, dark chocolate, and red wine. 

An animal study found that the combination of these two nutrients boosted the quality and density of nerve cells in aging skeletal muscles. They also significantly improved the survival rate in mice. 

This makes sense since chronic inflammation and oxidate stress contribute to sarcopenia—and green tea catechins and cocoa flavanols have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. 

The third nutrient is vitamin C. 

Numerous studies have linked vitamin C to better muscle mass. 

For example, in one study using data from 13,000 people, researchers calculated muscle mass, analyzed vitamin C intake, and measure blood levels of vitamin C. 

They found that people with the highest amounts of vitamin C in their diets or in their blood had the greatest estimated skeletal muscle mass. 

So, will eating a bunch of chocolate and oranges help keep your muscles in tip top shape? 

On their own, probably not. 

But supporting your muscles both nutritionally and physically is critical for fighting this unfortunate side effect of getting older.