Diet That Prevents Muscles from Deterioration

Even though, we tend to perceive aging in our modern society as something unwanted, which we would rather avoid, it is a quite natural stage in our lives. Aging, also, leads to muscle deterioration in our body. If we accept aging and its consequences as a regular part of our life cycle, it will be easier to take action and reduce its negative effects. We cannot ignore this process, because it is the main factor in muscle loss, but we can adopt good exercise habits with an emphasis on resistance training and endurance exercises. Apart from this, we can also adjust our diet that can strengthen our muscles and maintain muscle mass. The article “Nutrition to Prevent Muscle Wasting” gives us some ideas that food we should include in our diet and how they prevent the muscles from deterioration.

Glutamine
Prolonged illness or recent surgery can deplete your body of the amino acid glutamine. This nutrient, the most prevalent free amino acid in the body, is found in high concentrations in your blood and muscle tissue. Metabolic stress depletes blood glutamine levels. To maintain glutamine levels in your blood, your muscles increase production of glutamine and donate from their stores, but levels could still become depleted. Glutamine is also used as a source of energy by the cells that line your intestinal tract. In glutamine deficiency, the intestinal cells’ function suffers and your ability to absorb the nutrients in food decreases. Supplementing with glutamine is good insurance to prevent muscle wasting and to expedite your recovery from illness and injury.

Whey
Whey protein, the protein component of milk that is extracted during cheese manufacture, may prevent sarcopenia, a type of muscle wasting in the elderly, according to a study in the January 2008 issue of the journal “Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care.” Combined with resistance training, whey can help maintain muscle mass, especially when consumed within a few hours of exercising. In this way, whey protein may help decrease age-related diseases and improve quality of life.

Creatine
Creatine, a source of energy for your muscle cells, may reverse age-related loss of muscle mass, according to a study published in the May 2011 issue of the journal “Amino Acids.” Short-term use of creatine in high doses can increase muscle mass and strength, decrease fatigue and improve endurance. When coupled with resistance training, creatine promotes these improvements along with increased bone mass to a greater extent than resistance training by itself. Brain and cognitive function also benefit from creatine supplementation. Researchers note that creatine’s safety and low cost make it a useful supplement for preventing muscle loss and age-related decline.

Low-Sugar Diet
A low-sugar diet that keeps your insulin levels low can preserve muscle mass and prevent fat accumulation, says registered dietitian Jeff Volek, R.D., Ph.D., author of the book “Men’s Health TNT Diet: The Explosive New Plan to Blast Fat, Build Muscle, and Get Healthy.” When insulin levels are chronically high, your body’s cells attempt to limit its effects by decreasing their numbers of insulin receptors, a condition known as insulin resistance. In advanced cases, insulin resistance results in a swing to the opposite extreme, whereby cells become starved for amino acids and glucose and, as a result, muscle protein break downs. To keep your insulin levels on an even keel, avoid processed carbohydrates and opt for whole grains. Also, choose fresh fruits over dried or canned.

In order to make our muscles strong and flexible, a good diet is essential. However, many fitness experts cannot agree whether a diet based on protein or some other diet better contribute to building and maintaining muscle mass. Although we do not have a straight answer when it comes to proper diet, they all agree that a balanced meal taken after our workout makes good to our muscular system. If we include proteins, vitamins, and minerals, and apply the tips from quoted article, we will not make a mistake. And if we combine a dietary diversity with a good sleep, we will help our body to prevent muscles from deterioration even in our golden age.