As the age increases, the quality and amount of human muscles gradually disappear, and the elderly suffer from problems such as diseases or chewing, which leads to nutritional imbalance and protein deficiency, which is more likely to cause sarcopenia. To avoid various health problems caused by sarcopenia, doctors suggest that nutrition balance and sports must be considered.
Non-elderly sarcopenia is proprietary, and office workers who sit for a long time will also suffer premature aging."Age" is the main risk factor for sarcopenia. Studies have shown that the muscle mass of people over 70 years is reduced by 15% every decade, and the chance of sarcopenia over 80 is as high as 50%. Wang Guolin, president of Lin Changchun Hospital, reminded that sarcopenia is not limited to the elderly. All the following ethnic groups should pay special attention to:
● Patients with chronic diseases, such as heart disease, symptomatitis, and diabetes.
● Long-term bedding or insufficient activity.
● Those with poor nutrition or eating imbalance.
● For ethnic groups over the age of 40, muscle mass decreases by about 8% every 10 years.
● Office workers with long-term living styles are the new generation of premature aging.
The calf range can be measured by yourself and then the risk can be evaluated by medical diagnosis.Sarcopenia is not only a problem of reduced muscle mass. Wang Guolin said that the so-called sarcopenia has three aspects, including reduced muscle mass, reduced muscle strength, and physiological functions caused by these two.
How to evaluate sarcopenia? In daily life, you can observe some signs to initially evaluate whether there is risk of sarcopenia. From the outside, pay attention to whether the tiger's mouth is sunken, whether the bones of the long hand are clearly visible (especially for men), and whether the sun acupoint is sunken. In addition, the calf is also an important indicator. You can use a tape measure to measure the coarseness. If the male is less than 34 cm and the female is less than 33 cm, it may be risky.
If you suspect that you have muscle strength problems, you can further evaluate it by a doctor. The main evaluation methods are:
1. DXA or BIA muscle mass measuring instrument: Many elderly people look fat on the outside, but actually found that the body is mainly composed of oil, which is obese sarcopenia. Therefore, through accurate detection, muscle mass can be evaluated.
2. Evaluate muscle strength with hand grip strength by habit:
3. Walking speed test: Walking 4-6 meters, slower than 0.8 meters per second, indicating that there are physiological functions.
One of the above three indicators is an abnormality, that is, it is suspected sarcopenia; two abnormalities are confirmed to be sarcopenia; all three abnormalities are abnormalities belong to severe sarcopenia.
Sports should be more appropriate to supplement protein to avoid muscle loss.Nowadays, many people are enthusiastic about sports and fitness. Wang Guolin said that sports are indeed good for health, but it should be noted that exercise consumes heat over a long period of time. When the sugar in the body is consumed, it will start to consume muscle. Many people will find that exercise cannot gain muscle. Therefore, you should supplement protein more frequently and add resistance training during exercise to avoid muscle loss.
Prevention and improvement of sarcopenia should start from multiple aspects, mainly including nutritional supplementation and sports intervention. Wang Guolin said that the elderly should maintain muscle mass, and they need 1-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram per day. For people with 60 kilograms, they need to collect about 72 grams of protein (on average, about 7 grams of protein per chicken egg). However, due to chewing or poor appetite, the elderly may not be able to completely extract enough protein from fish, meat and other diets. Therefore, doctors can evaluate and supplement high-quality protein nutrients.
The young people who love sports and fitness need 1.6 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of weight per day, which is more difficult to completely extract from natural diets. Therefore, suitable high-protein and other nutrient supplements can also be selected. However, Wang Guolin reminded that we should not "reverse to the guest" and should still take balanced diet as the first priority, and those who are insufficient should be supplemented.
3 major suggestions for preventing sarcopenia
1. Ensure sufficient heat:
Men suggest 1,400-1,600 calories/day
Women suggest 1,200-1,400 calories/day
2. Nutrition supplementation suggestions
● Vitamin D, calcium and B can be supplemented from natural foods, and nutrition supplements should be matched with nutrient supplements when necessary.
● Replenish digestive enzymes to help digestion and absorption of proteins.
● Quality protein supplement:
Whey protein: Suitable for quick replenishment after exercise.
Milk protein: high nutritional value, and also contains quickly absorbed whey protein and casein that provides amino acids slowly for a long time.
Plant-based protein: such as soy protein and pea protein, suitable for vegetarians or those with milk allergies
3. Regular exercise: Longers can use small slopes to strengthen their muscle strength, exercise 3-5 times a week, for at least 30 minutes each time. Walking more can also increase activity and increase appetite.
Sarcopenia self-evaluation
● 3 locations
1. Tiger mouth depression in the hand 2. The bones are visible (especially for men)
3. Sunburst depression in the sun
● Use a caliper to measure the coarseest point, with men less than 34 cm and women less than 33 cm.
※If the above conditions are present, it is recommended to evaluate the medical treatment.