The Key to Life-Long Muscle Health

Maintaining muscle strength is essential for a long and healthy life. But as we age, we are at higher risk of developing sarcopenia, a condition that leads to loss of muscle mass and strength. Muscle loss can significantly lower your ability to carry out daily tasks, which can have a negative impact on your quality of life. It may result in you losing your independence and requiring long-term care.

Muscle loss can have various impacts on health

Someone with decades of experience treating patients suffering from muscle loss is Dr. Han De-sheng, attending physician at the Department of Rehabilitation and director of the Medical Department at National Taiwan University Hospital’s Bei Hu Branch. He says maintaining muscle mass throughout life is a cornerstone of general health.

“After thorough analysis, we’ve found that low muscle mass is a major determinant of survival in elderly patients,” says Dr. Han. “Those with low muscle mass are likely to have mobilization issues, increased tendency for low balance and decreased functional status, and higher risk of mortality.”

Dr. Han notes that the pandemic has exacerbated this issue further. Studies have indicated that three out of five Covid-19 patients experience muscle weakness or fatigue for as long as six months, increasing the risk of sarcopenia. Long-term recuperation in bed, poor appetite, and insufficient nutritional supplements can result in rapid muscle loss in just a few days of home isolation. This muscle loss not only impairs daily activities but also weakens the immune system, making individuals more vulnerable to other illnesses.

Dr. Han De-Sheng

How to combat muscle loss

To prevent muscle loss and even sarcopenia, Dr. Han recommends prioritizing daily activity and nutrition management. While consuming protein is essential for building muscles, it’s equally important to consume enough calories and maintain a balanced and complete diet. Poor nutrition and insufficient calorie intake can lead to the body breaking down protein in muscles for energy, causing muscle loss.

“For those suffering from sarcopenia, there are a lot of nutrients that should be supplemented,” says Dr. Han, who is also a clinical professor at the National Taiwan University School of Medicine. “The first one is protein, which is the building element for muscles. Generally, people need around 1.2-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. We can get protein from natural food sources, including fish, meat, eggs, beans, and milk, but it can be difficult to ingest the amount needed for your daily requirements. That’s when oral nutritional supplements become an important consideration for patients.”

Choosing clinical evidence-based oral nutritional supplements to combat muscle loss

Dr. Han adds that the protein structure in natural foods is complex, which prolongs the digestive process and sometimes decreases nutrition absorption. Oral nutritional supplements, on the other hand, can be easily absorbed and help the body utilize protein and essential amino acids. Multivitamins and minerals should also be included to meet daily nutritional requirements.

While not everyone needs to supplement their protein intake, Dr. Han says it is a useful way for many groups to ensure they get enough nutrition. For example, patients with new crowns may experience changes in taste and smell and be more prone to inflammation. Additionally, busy work schedules can make it difficult to ensure a healthy diet without supplements also among younger patients.

When addressing these challenges, it may be helpful to consider dietary supplements. Dr. Han notes that such products are convenient to take and can be consumed as a drink, supply sufficient calories to build muscle, and contain easily absorbable protein that effectively helps build muscle.

“Many of our patients also have sarcopenic dysphasia, or oral frailty, which in turn causes swallowing problems,” he says. “To help these patients increase their calorie and protein intake, nutritional supplements can be very useful. These are more easily ingested, and we can easily modify the consistency of the liquid to reduce choking risks.”

It’s also important to choose products that have been clinically tested and have had research published in peer-reviewed international medical journals, as this can help ensure their effectiveness in preventing or improving muscle loss.

“Investing in high-quality, balanced nutritional products is an easy and valuable way to support your health and well-being,” says Dr. Han. By taking charge of our health, we can give ourselves the best possible foundation for a long and active life.