Most people accept the fact that they will lose strength and muscle mass as they age. This is a common symptom of andropause as your testosterone levels decline which are a key component to muscle growth. Muscle loss due to aging is called sarcopenia and coincides with a decline in testosterone levels. As you would expect, it can begin in your early 20s but becomes more dramatic in your 60s. Muscle atrophy is a compounded version of muscle loss due to increased muscle inactivity. When your energy levels lower, and you use your muscles less, compounded by a reduction in the motor neurons firing communication from your brain to your muscles you will lost muscle mass and develop fat.
Testosterone promotes muscle growth by activating and binding to receptors in your muscle cells which promote muscle contraction and growth. The loss of testosterone reduces this activity critical to muscle growth. Fueling your muscles with proper nutrition is also important to defending muscle loss as they require both testosterone and protein for growth. A diet fueled with sugars, rather than proteins, will suffer from a fuel deficit required for muscle regeneration.
As we mentioned, muscle loss starts to occur naturally in your 20s. Natural muscle atrophy will occur at a rate of .5% per year starting in your 20s and happens at a compounding rate. This rate escalates and doubles to an average muscle loss of 1% per year in your 60s. This rate doubles again to an average muscle loss of 2% per year in your 70s and doubles again every decade for the rest of your life. The best ways to help avoid this atrophy is continued muscle use and increased testosterone to hold off and even reverse this effect.
The effect of testosterone on muscle has been studied under a number of conditions. One common finding is that testosterone therapy results in a strength increase nearly equal to the strength increase from exercise alone. Typically, the combination of testosterone therapy plus exercise will lead to optimal results. In one moderate application study of almost 50 men, testosterone therapy alone led to a 17% increase in the maximum amount in the leg press. Weight training alone yielded a similar 17% increase, however, the combination of testosterone therapy and weight training created an average increase of 27%. This study was from a moderate application of testosterone therapy. Hormone Therapeutics does not work with patients or prescribe for athletes.
The solution to reversing muscle loss:
Muscle loss can be one of the most obvious signs of an onset of andropause. Hormone Therapeutics will help put a program together for you to take into consideration all of the areas that affect muscle loss. This will include testosterone therapy, supplements, fitness regimens, customized nutrition programs, sleep regimens and other areas to help your body rebuild strength and muscle mass.
Your first step is to sign up today for a free consultation. Let Hormone Therapeutics develop a program for you to fight muscle loss and live well, age well through a custom testosterone therapy program.
If you suffer from muscle loss and any of the symptoms below, you could be a candidate for testosterone replacement therapy: