The older you get, the easier your muscle mass and strength decline. Lack of exercise and a lack of nutrients can cause the body to lose muscle even if your weight does not change much.
Researchers at Curtin University (Australia) tracked health data of nearly 480,000 adults for 14 years. Participants were not diagnosed with diabetes when the study began.
The results showed that groups with both obesity and muscle decline had a 3.5-fold higher risk of type 2 diabetes than groups with healthy body composition.
In 10 years, nearly 15% of people in this group suffered from the disease, compared to about 11% in the group with only obesity and 3% in the group without obesity or muscle decline.
The study was published in the journal Diabetes Care. Main author Quan Trung Duong, Curtin University (Australia), believes that besides weight control, muscle health also needs to be paid attention to to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
After age 60, you should conserve muscle instead of just losing weight. Muscles help the body use glucose to create energy, thereby contributing to maintaining stable blood sugar. Therefore, maintaining exercise and muscle strength can support blood sugar control.
However, the study recorded this link most clearly in women and people under 60 years old. Therefore, the risk increase of the entire study should not be applied directly to the group over 60 years old alone.
For the elderly, maintaining muscles also helps with walking, balancing, and daily activities. You can start with simple exercises such as walking, standing up and sitting down from chairs, stretching bands, or light weights depending on your strength.
The diet should also ensure enough protein from fish, eggs, lean meat, milk and beans. People with kidney disease or needing to limit protein should consult a doctor or nutritionist.
After age 60, weight control should not just be about losing weight, but must go hand in hand with maintaining muscle.
