It’s common for strength to decrease as one grows older. However, Canadian physician Dr. Peter Attia sat with physiologist Dr. Mike Joyner to discuss this case. Together, the duo devised a training plan that could help curb the effects of age on an individual’s strength in the former’s podcast episode.
Dr. Attia highlighted that as bones and muscles grew progressively weaker, it hampered the ability to perform day-to-day activities. Healthspan wasn’t only about being alive; it was also about thriving and being able to engage in seemingly normal tasks.
Exercising early on in one’s life could potentially offset mobility issues that come with age. Dr. Attia raised a question about the kind of routines that could help the case. To this, Dr. Joyner elaborated and followed up with a personal anecdote.
“If you look at the decline in performance in age group, swimming, running, cycling, rowing, really any sport where there’s pretty good record-keeping, people can start to decline at age 30 without training.”
Problems begin with a decline in energy and strength in middle-aged people. However, the troubling change Dr. Joyner pointed out was how these problems shifted from “cardiopulmonary limitations” to fragility in muscles and bones.
When people draw closer to their 70s, there is a decline in strength in the skeletal structure. Small impacts could lead to major injuries. This can be prevented later in their lives if middle-aged individuals include circuit training in their daily routines.
“One of the things that people have to think about…is adding strength or some sort of circuit training and agility training to their program.”
Dr. Joyner personally swears by adding a jump rope to his daily essentials. Not only is it travel-friendly, but it also provides the perfect balance between a healthy dose of cardio, improved coordination, and foot reactivity. With age, the chances of losing mind-muscle coordination are highly likely. Therefore, Dr. Attia also recommends jumping ropes to solve the challenge.
Dr. Peter Attia highlights changes in protein requirements with age
Just like exercise and training routines, Dr. Attia also championed the change in protein intake as individuals aged. Different kinds of proteins in the human body undergo different life cycles, and one needs to replenish accordingly. He discussed this in detail with nutrition scientist Dr. Don Layman in a podcast episode.
The catch here was that as one grew older, the efficiency of the protein cycle decreased. Combined with the kind of diet one consumes, it was crucial to note how efficiently an individual’s body processed this protein. The solution was to provide enriched protein sources like Leucine and even increase the amount of calories in the case of vegan or vegetarian diets.
