In this podcast, we’re going to talk about preventing muscle loss due to aging. At around age 50, women go through menopause which causes hormonal changes. Men experience hormonal changes around age 60.
As you age and your hormones change, you can become deficient in skeletal muscle. This is known as sarcopenia. Around 40% of your metabolism is related to your muscles, so this can have detrimental effects.
In women, estrogen decreases with age, but progesterone drops even lower. Without progesterone, you end up with a lot of problems from estrogen.
Cholesterol is a building block for steroid hormones, like testosterone and estrogen, which directly affect your muscles. This is why low-cholesterol and low-fat diets can cause muscle loss. Coincidentally, this is why you see muscle damage and diseases associated with statin drugs.
Here are 6 ways to protect and support your hormones to help prevent muscle loss as you age:
1. Infrared light can increase melatonin. Sunlight, fire, and candles all provide infrared light.
2. Regular, consistent, resistance exercise is the most potent stimulator of muscle building.
3. Ensure adequate intake of high-quality animal protein. Aim for .8 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day.
4. Consume plenty of cholesterol from meat and dairy.
5. Try pregnenolone supplements. Start out with 30 mg per day for women and 100 mg for men.
Pregnenolone is a precursor for important hormones related to muscle building.
6. DHEA is a precursor for hormones that help build muscle. Try 25 mg for women and 100 mg for men.
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