Tracking skeletal muscle mass is increasingly recognized as a critical metric for overall health, surpassing the traditional focus on fat mass. Recent research highlights that maintaining and building muscle mass is essential not just for fitness enthusiasts but for everyone, particularly older adults. Higher muscle mass is linked to better physical function, mobility, and reduced risks of morbidity, mortality, and chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes. Additionally, muscle mass has shown significant benefits in enhancing recovery from illnesses such as COVID-19. With tools like the Evolt 360 body scanner, tracking skeletal muscle mass can lead to improved health outcomes and a higher quality of life.
Traditionally people associate growing muscle mass with bodybuilders and fitness minded individuals who frequent the gym. Recently though, the research and focus for building, maintaining and tracking muscle mass is more about better overall health, longevity and protection against a myriad of illness and disease.
For the maintenance of physical function and mobility as well as for general health and wellbeing, skeletal muscle mass is crucial. Low muscle mass has been linked to higher morbidity and death, especially in older persons, according to studies.
According to a study that appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, older persons with greater muscle mass had a reduced risk of passing away and becoming disabled than older adults with less muscle mass. Keeping or gaining muscle mass through resistance exercise was linked to better physical function and mobility in older persons, according to another study in the Journal of Gerontology.
Maintaining or gaining muscle mass may have a number of other health advantages in addition to its effects on physical function and mobility. For instance, muscle tissue has a high metabolic activity, therefore gaining more muscle may help to increase insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation. Additionally, it might lessen the chance of getting diseases including type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.
Overall, there is compelling evidence that skeletal muscle mass maintenance and growth are essential for preserving physical ability, mobility, and general health and wellbeing, especially in older persons.
One study indicated that older persons with higher levels of muscle mass were less likely to develop severe COVID-19 symptoms and had a lower risk of hospitalisation and mortality from the condition. The findings were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Another study that was published in the journal Age and Ageing discovered that older persons who had more muscle mass were more likely to recover more quickly from COVID-19 hospitalisation.
Keeping or gaining muscle mass can also have a number of additional health advantages, such as enhancing bone density, metabolism, and general physical performance. Regular exercise and physical activity can aid in maintaining or building muscle mass, and a balanced diet rich in protein can also be beneficial for maintaining healthy muscles.
Understanding your Body Composition is more than just knowing your body fat percentage. Tracking the maintenance or increase in skeletal muscle mass should be the focus. The Evolt 360 body scanner is the quickest and reliable method to track skeletal muscle mass as well as other important metrics.
Maintaining and increasing skeletal muscle mass is important for a variety of reasons.
- Sarcopenia, or the loss of skeletal muscle mass, is a common and important predictor of morbidity and mortality in older adults. In a review published in the journal Age and Ageing, researchers found that sarcopenia is associated with an increased risk of falls, frailty, disability, and death in older adults (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4387667/).
- Skeletal muscle mass is also important for maintaining metabolic health. A study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that higher skeletal muscle mass is associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5997259/).
- Skeletal muscle mass is also important for cardiovascular health. A review published in the journal Circulation found that higher skeletal muscle mass is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5571329/).
- Skeletal muscle mass is also important for maintaining functional independence. A study published in the journal JAMA found that higher skeletal muscle mass is associated with a lower risk of functional limitations in older adults (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5430206/).