Strategies to Combat Age-Related Muscle Loss and Boost Muscle Building

 

1. Managing Cortisol: The Stress Hormone That Breaks Down Muscle

High cortisol (common with age) promotes fat storage (especially visceral fat), triggers protein degradation via pathways like autophagy, and suppresses MPS at a genetic level. The goal: Lower cortisol to create a muscle-friendly environment without eliminating healthy stressors like exercise.

Strategy	How It Helps	Dosage/Implementation Tips
Glycine	Calms the body, reduces cortisol; supports relaxation and gut health (bonus for inflammation).	3g at night (e.g., via collagen or straight supplement).
Vitamin C (whole-food form)	Buffers oxidative stress from cortisol; stabilizes morning cortisol spikes.	Take in the morning; avoid synthetic ascorbic acid—opt for food-based versions.
Omega-3s	Directly blunts cortisol, reduces inflammation from high cortisol, and activates MPS via p70S6K phosphorylation pathway.	2-3g/day (from fish oil or fatty fish like salmon); double benefit for muscle building.
Ashwagandha	Regulates cortisol rhythm.	At night; experiment as it may feel "weird" for some.
Evening Carbohydrates	Insulin from carbs suppresses nighttime cortisol (which should be low for good sleep/circadian rhythm).	50-100g carbs in the evening meal; allocate most daily carbs here, especially if not highly active during the day.

Key Insight: Cortisol prioritizes survival over muscle-building—keep it in check to avoid "breaking down more than building."

2. Boosting Bioenergetics: Fueling Muscle with ATP

Aging reduces ATP (energy) turnover, making workouts and recovery harder. Creatine is highlighted as a safe, essential fix.

• Creatine Monohydrate: Preserves muscle mass, strength, and longevity; no kidney risk (debunking myths for 30s+ crowd). It hydrates tissues to prevent injury.
  • Dose: 5-15g/day (higher than standard 5g for noticeable effects).
  • Tips: Sip throughout the day (e.g., in stick packs) to minimize water retention. Use Creapure (patented pure form). 
  • Evidence Note: Strong literature on muscle/strength preservation; gummies option if preferred (slight sugar aids uptake for active folks).

Pro Tip: If over 35-40, make this a "top 3-4 supplement" staple.

3. Reducing Inflammation: Clearing the "Static" for Muscle Growth

Chronic inflammation (via nuclear factor kappa B pathway) causes atrophy, fibrosis (muscle "gumming up"), and poor function. It starts in the gut and blocks MPS signals.

• Gut Health Focus (since gut degradation worsens with age):
  • Avoid Emulsifiers: Skip polysorbates and limit carrageenan (e.g., in processed foods)—they erode the mucosal layer, leading to leaky gut and LPS leakage (triggers immune response/inflammation).
  • Support the Barrier:
    • Polyphenols: Feed gut microbes to reinforce mucosa (e.g., from berries, tea, dark chocolate).
    • Bone Broth/Collagen/Glycine: Rebuilds gut lining (ties back to cortisol strategy).
    • Meal Spacing: Take deliberate breaks between meals for gut recovery (avoids constant "leakage").
  • Cascade Effect: Better gut = less inflammation = better insulin sensitivity = more MPS potential.
• Overall Tie-In: With inflammation controlled, you need more protein anyway (leucine threshold rises with age), but it works better.

4. Optimizing Protein Intake: Quality and Quantity Matter More with Age

Older adults need ~50% more protein to hit the leucine threshold for MPS. Focus on digestibility.

• PDCAAS Score (Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score): Google for rankings—prioritize high-scorers.
  Top Proteins	Why They're Great
  Whey/Milk	Fast-digesting, leucine-rich.
  Egg	Complete, highly bioavailable.
  Beef	Dense in aminos for sustained release.

• General Advice: Load up safely (e.g., 1.6-2.2g/kg bodyweight/day total protein); combine with above strategies for max effect.

5. Training Adjustments: Push Closer to Growth Without Overdoing It

If full failure feels tough, adapt:

• Add partial reps in the stretched position (e.g., bottom half of a squat) after near-failure sets.
  • Evidence: European Journal of Sport Science study showed up to 70% gains in size/strength.
• Why? Induces MPS with less systemic stress.