What Is Sarcopenia? Early Signs, Risks, and How to Prevent Muscle Loss As You Age
If you’re starting to think about how your body is changing with the years, muscle loss may not be the first thing on your mind. But, as Alan explains in today’s episode of Live Your DNA, nearly everyone will face a condition called sarcopenia as we get older. Recognizing the signs, understanding the risks, and taking action starting in midlife can make a world of difference for your strength, movement, and quality of life.
Understanding Sarcopenia: Muscle Loss With Age
In the words of Alan: “We all are going to suffer from a condition called sarcopenia as we get older. It’s a subtle thing that happens in our body to everybody where we lose the ability to assimilate protein that’s in our blood or the amino acids in our blood. We lose the ability to assimilate them into muscle tissue.”
This process is not an overnight event. According to Alan, muscle loss is gradual and can begin in your late forties—sometimes between 45 and 50—especially if you’re less active. He notes that this happens as our muscles become less able to “recognize” amino acids and use them to build and maintain muscle. Instead, those proteins can be channeled into unwanted areas, sometimes leading to increased body fat.
What Is Sarcopenia?
Alan describes sarcopenia as, “this loss of lean muscle mass,” which was long thought to affect only the very old—people in their seventies, eighties, and nineties. But, as he points out, the reality is it starts much earlier, depending on your lifestyle and genetics.
“Sarcopenia can start as early as in our late 40s, 45 to 50. We can start this process depending on our level of activity. People that are less active are more likely to have sarcopenia at a younger age and it can be more exacerbated or more evident as they get older.”
In simple terms, sarcopenia is your body no longer using protein for building muscle as efficiently. The amino acids you eat—through food or supplements—are either passed through your system or stored as body fat via a process Alan refers to as gluconeogenesis. When your genetic “protein weight gene” isn’t functioning well, he notes, your body may more often store those amino acids as fat rather than as muscle.
Effects and Symptoms: What to Watch For
The impacts of sarcopenia go far beyond just looking less muscular. Alan paints a clear picture of the physical and mental shifts that can occur:
- Loss of strength
- Decreased physical endurance
- Reduced mobility and agility
- Feeling less “vim and vigor” for life—lacking the motivation or energy for activities
- Potential cognitive decline
He explains, “They just don’t want to do anything because they don’t have the strength, they don’t have the mobility and they have this decline in available lean muscle mass to power those things.” It’s not just about muscle size—the knock-on effects can seriously impact your independence, mood, and overall well-being as you age.
Metabolic Consequences of Sarcopenia
Beyond the obvious loss of physical power, Alan warns that sarcopenia can shift your entire metabolism. As your muscles stop processing protein efficiently, your body may interpret your protein intake as excessive and try to store the excess as fat, especially when your genetics make you more prone to this pattern. Alan also notes that as we get older, people tend to eat less protein, which only worsens the problem. He references research from 2008 to 2013 that observed these declining protein habits in older populations and linked them to more prevalent disease.
Sarcopenia Prevention: Alan’s Guidelines
The good news? “Sarcopenia is easy to resolve,” Alan asserts. The key lies in monitoring your protein needs and making protein the centerpiece of your nutritional plan. Here are Alan’s recommendations for sarcopenia prevention, straight from his clinical and personal experience:
1. “Protein Forward” Diet
Alan encourages a “protein forward diet”—meaning you intentionally center meals around protein. He advises setting a daily protein goal based on your body weight, but approaches this differently for kilos and pounds:
- If you know your weight in kilos: Alan recommends consuming “somewhere between 1.6 and 2 grams per kilo of body weight per day.”
- If you know your weight in pounds: He suggests calculating your lean body weight by subtracting body fat from your total weight. Alan points to BMI (Body Mass Indicator) calculators as simple tools to get a baseline. For “really healthy” body composition, he states men would aim for 11 to 18 percent, while women might target 19 to 23 or 24 percent body fat.
“Women naturally have more fat in their skin, so we have to account for that. Men don’t have that. That’s why we get wrinkly as old guys and women tend to stay less wrinkly, more soft and generally.”
Alan also notes a difference in meal timing by gender: “For women generally speaking, it’s better to protein load in the morning and taper off in the evening. For men, it’s a little different, we can kind of have more protein throughout the day, just changes in our hormones are different.”
2. Essential Amino Acid Supplementation
Many strategies for sarcopenia prevention hinge on reactivating the muscles’ amino acid receptor sites. Alan recommends supplementing with essential amino acids to stimulate these receptors:
“So 5 grams of essential amino acids per day has been clinically shown to reactivate the receptor sites for muscle protein, for protein uptake or amino acid uptake into our muscles.”
Adding this to your routine can encourage your body to actually use the protein you’re eating to rebuild and maintain muscle rather than letting it go to waste.
3. Hormone Awareness and Testing
Alan explains that hormones like testosterone and estrogen play a big role in muscle maintenance and response to diet. Men cycle testosterone every 24 hours throughout their lives, while women see a gradual drop in estrogen and progesterone. However, Alan points out that women also have testosterone, and its levels should not be overlooked:
“In the clinic where I attend, they also check testosterone levels in women now that are over the age of 60 and 65, 70 because they see a decline in their testosterone levels. Yes women, you do have some testosterone. When we see a decline in your testosterone, we are going to definitely see a decline in lean muscle mass, strength, endurance, mobility, etc.”
If you’re concerned, checking hormone levels with your doctor can be an important step in protecting your muscle health as you age.
4. Exercise Is Non-Negotiable
Nutrition and hormones aside, Alan states that regardless of age, exercise remains a core pillar for preventing and even reversing muscle loss. He describes a clinical trial conducted “years ago” on women over 80, showing that “just a small amount of exercise” led to an immediate response in lean muscle mass and improved bone health:
“So, there are, it doesn’t matter what age we are we can intervene and we can absolutely live a better lifestyle or lifespan if we are aware of our protein need and we focus through our diet making protein the center of our diet moving forward.”
Whether you’re in midlife or enjoying your later years, it’s never too late to start moving more and giving your muscles what they need to thrive.
5. Know Your Genetics
Alan urges listeners to consider a genetic test for personalized information about their protein absorption, fat storage, and metabolic pathways. According to him, genetic insight “really is something that gives you vast amounts of control over what you would do as an intervention at no matter what age you have your genetic test, you can still intervene and make changes to your long-term health outcomes.”
Alan personally recommends the DNA Power, Total Power Genetic Test for its user-friendliness and depth, noting you can now review your results with him via app or one-on-one consultation if you wish.
Conclusion: Your Next Steps in Sarcopenia Prevention
If there’s one message Alan wants you to take away, it’s that sarcopenia is not just an inevitable part of aging to be endured. Muscle loss can begin as early as your forties, but you have actionable strategies for prevention and even reversal, no matter your current age. By centering your diet around quality protein, maintaining an exercise routine, supporting your hormone health, and even exploring your genetic profile, you can safeguard your muscle—and with it, your energy and enjoyment of life—for years to come.
Have questions or want to dive deeper into your own protein needs? As Alan notes, you can reach out in the comments, schedule a genetic review, or browse the tools and tests he recommends in the episode description. Take the next step in your healthy aging journey—your muscles will thank you!