Age-related muscle loss: Why millennials should pay attention now

Malaysian adults need to pay attention to their muscle health.

Did you know that at the age of 40, adults can lose up to eight per cent of their muscle mass per decade and after 70, that rate almost doubles?

For millennials who have to navigate the complexities of modern living like demanding careers to juggling family obligations, this leads to a sedentary trap due to desk-jobs, binge-marathons and simply not having enough time to exercise.

This sedentary trap which involves inactive lifestyles on muscle health among millennials, is a growing concern.

“They (millennials) are not moving as much as they should. There is very little activity, and in that you lose muscle,” said Malaysia Healthy Ageing Society president Professor Dr Shahrul Bahyah Kamaruzzaman.

Muscle loss as you age is inevitable, but one way to decrease the risk of future health complications is by taking care of your diet and by exercising.

“You have to consume a nutritious diet. Fast food is a common choice of diet but it might not be nutritionally complete.

“In fast food and processed food, there are a lot of additives and preservatives. This is why this generation is at risk of a lot of non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and high cholesterol.

“Compare it with our grandparents’ generation, the loss of muscle mass among them was due to normal ageing,” she said at an event hosted by Abott and MHAS to raise awareness of the importance of muscle to support older adults and help build a healthy ageing community in Malaysia.

Professor Dr. Shahrul Bahyah Kamaruzzaman (middle) and Dr Nina Mazera Mohd Said (second from left) at the launch of the event by Abott and MHAS held at One Utama recently.

“Simple changes like focusing on nutrient-rich foods, especially protein, is one of the most important factors to prevent muscle loss and promote healthy ageing.

“Get a good mix of micronutrients – your vitamin Bs, Ds and be sure to stay active,” said Abbott Malaysia nutrition medical director Dr Nina Mazera Mohd Said.

With Malaysia fast becoming an ageing population, it’s imperative that Malaysian adults pay attention to their muscle health to avoid age-related muscle loss, which ultimately increases the risk of disability.

What are the signs of muscle loss? The list includes low energy, slower walking speed, decreased strength or fatigue.

To help adults better understand their muscle health, Abbott is organising a muscle health awareness roadshow—which includes the #Stand4Strength challenge—across Malaysia from April through October.

All Malaysian adults are invited to participate in the #Stand4Strength challenge at an event or online.

The challenge encourages individuals to undertake a simple, scientifically validated sit-to-stand exercise and insert their results into the online Muscle Age Calculator to ascertain their muscle age.

Additionally, MHAS will host the ASEAN Conference on Healthy Ageing in Penang in August to educate healthcare professionals and the public on how to address and prevent sarcopenia.