Climbing stairs starts to call for the handrail. The shopping bags seem heavier than they used to. Getting up from the sofa now needs a little push that was not needed before. Almost everyone puts this down to age and moves on.
They're partly right: the body loses muscle and strength over the years. But how fast that happens, and how far it goes, depends a lot on what you do. This loss has a name, sarcopenia, and it's one of the few things linked to ageing where training makes a huge, well-documented difference.
In this article we explain what it is, how to recognise it, which simple tests reveal it and what to do from today.
What is sarcopenia?
The word comes from Greek: sarx, flesh, and penia, lack. It describes the progressive loss of muscle mass, strength and function that comes with ageing.
For many years the focus was mainly on the amount of muscle. That changed in 2019, when the European group that sets the criteria for sarcopenia, known as EWGSOP2, revised its consensus and put muscle strength first. The reason is practical: grip strength predicts falls, loss of independence and hospital stays better than muscle mass measured on its own.
In practice, this means the first warning sign isn't seeing thinner arms in the mirror. It's realising you can no longer do what you used to do with the same ease.
When does muscle loss begin?
It starts earlier than you think. Muscle mass and strength peak in young adulthood and from then on start to decline slowly. For years the decline goes unnoticed, because everyday life doesn't ask anyone for maximum strength.
The problem is that the decline speeds up with age, and it comes with other things that usually arrive in the same package:
- less movement, because work is sitting down and so is free time;
- less protein on the plate, especially for people who eat little at breakfast and lunch;
- periods of inactivity, after an illness, surgery or injury, when you lose in weeks what takes months to get back;
- loss of fast-twitch fibres, the ones that give you power, and the first to go when they're not used.
That's why sarcopenia isn't a topic "for when you're old". Your 40s and 50s are the best time to slow it down, because there's still a lot to protect.
The signs worth watching out for
None of these signs on its own is a diagnosis. Together, and especially if they're new, they're a good reason to take a fresh look at your strength.
- You need your hands to get up from a chair or the floor.
- Climbing one or two flights of stairs leaves your legs feeling heavy.
- Opening jars or carrying shopping has become harder.
- You walk more slowly than the people you walk with.
- Your balance is worse, or you've already had a fall for no obvious reason.
- You've lost weight without trying, and your clothes fit differently on your arms and legs.
Two simple tests that say a lot
Diagnosis is a medical matter, and anyone with doubts should talk to their GP. But there are two tests that are part of the sarcopenia assessment and show clearly what we're talking about.
| Test | How it is done | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Grip strength | Squeezing a dynamometer with your hand, as hard as you can | Overall body strength. According to the European consensus, values below 27 kg in men and 16 kg in women are a sign of low strength |
| Getting up from a chair | Sit down and stand up five times in a row, without using your arms, as fast as possible | Leg strength, the kind that gets you up the stairs, into the car and out the door |
You can try the second one at home, with a chair against the wall. You don't need to time it to the second: if it's really hard, if you need to push on your knees or if you stop halfway, your legs are asking for work.
What slows down sarcopenia: strength training
Here the science is clear. The combination that works best to prevent and treat sarcopenia is progressive strength training, together with enough protein in your diet. No supplement, gadget or walk replaces the first.
Walking is good for your heart, your mood and your joints, and you should keep doing it. But it isn't enough to maintain muscle, because it doesn't ask enough of it. Muscle responds to one thing only: having to overcome a resistance that's hard for it.
What a good strength workout looks like in practice
- Two to three sessions a week. A little, consistently, beats a lot for one month.
- Movements you use in daily life. Squatting and standing up, pushing, pulling, carrying weight, stepping up. They are the same motions as sitting down and getting up, putting a suitcase in the car or picking up a grandchild.
- Progression. The load goes up little by little, as your body adapts. Always doing the same thing with the same weight maintains, but doesn't rebuild.
- Balance and power. Training balance and doing some movements with the intention of speed (no jumping if you're not ready) helps protect your fast-twitch fibres, which are the ones that catch you when you trip.
- Range of motion. A strong muscle around a stiff joint is of little use. We covered this in the article on joint mobility.
What about nutrition?
Training sends the signal, and protein provides the building material. Spreading some protein across your meals during the day, and not only at dinner, helps your body make the most of your training. How much and from where depends on each person and their health, and that's a conversation to have with a nutritionist or your doctor. We've shared some general ideas in the article on what to eat before and after training.
The fears that hold so many people back
“At my age, lifting weights is dangerous.” What is risky is lifting badly, or suddenly, a load your body is not ready for. With technique, adjusted loads and someone supervising, strength training is one of the safest activities there is, and it is exactly what reduces risk in the rest of your day.
“My knees, back and shoulders hurt.” A lot of pain improves when the muscles around it get stronger. The exercises are adapted: the range, the load or the movement itself is changed. If you have a diagnosed condition, your doctor or physiotherapist should know you're starting, and so should your coach.
“It is too late.” It is not. Muscle responds to training at any age, and there are studies of very elderly people gaining strength within a few weeks. The sooner you start, the more you have to keep, but it is never too late to win some of it back.
“I don't want to get bulky.” You won't by accident. The goal here is different: climbing stairs without thinking about it, getting up off the floor without help and carrying on doing what you love for many years. If you want a guide to the first steps, we've written about training after 50 and where to start.
Where to start this week
- Do the chair test and write down how hard it was. Repeat it in two months.
- Choose two fixed days for strength training, and treat them like a booked appointment.
- Start with light weight and good technique. Your own body weight is enough for the first few weeks.
- Don't drop the walking, add strength to it.
- Get guidance, especially if you've never trained, if you have any pain or if you've been inactive for a long time.
Longevity at Revolution: strength for the years ahead
This is why we created the Longevity class: strength, mobility and balance training in a group, with a coach adjusting each exercise to whoever is doing it. Classes run Monday to Thursday at 10h30, and the plan gives you two a week, your choice.
Anyone joining Longevity starts with a free 30-minute fitness assessment: health data, weight and measurements, mobility, strength and balance. It's your starting point, so you can see your progress in numbers and not just in how you feel. We describe what the classes are like in the article on training for seniors in Figueira da Foz.
Age alone doesn't decide where you train. Some people reach 60 with years of training behind them and prefer the CrossFit classes, and others start at 45 and feel better in Longevity. We talk first, look at your starting point and your goals, and only then choose with you.
Your first class at Revolution, in Buarcos, is free and requires no experience at all. We have classes all day, from 06:30 to 21:00: see the timetable, check the plans on prices, with no small print, and book your class on contacts.
Bring your curiosity and some comfortable clothes. We'll take care of the rest.
Strength and balance go together. We've put together eight balance exercises to prevent falls, by level, with a test you can do at home in under a minute.
