Table of contents:
- What are the triggers for sarcopenia?
- 1. Lazy motion
- 2. Sedentary lifestyle
- 3. Unbalanced diet
- Chronic disease can also be a risk factor for sarcopenia
Sarcopenia is a condition of muscle degeneration with age. Sarcopenia occurs due to a clash between signals of anabolism (formation) and catabolism (destruction) of muscle cells. As a result, more muscle cells are destroyed than are newly formed. The effects or symptoms of sarcopenia are difficult for others to recognize. But people with sarcopenia usually experience weakness that increases over time, reduced hand grip strength, reduced stamina, slower movement, loss of motivation to move, and loss of weight for no apparent reason.
Sarcopenia is a condition that is common in old age. You can lose 3% of muscle strength annually after 50 years of age. However, there are several factors that cause sarcopenia to occur earlier.
What are the triggers for sarcopenia?
1. Lazy motion
Sarcopenia often occurs in people who are not active in sports, aka lazy to move. However, sarcopenia can also occur in active people. Here are some reasons why muscle loss may occur in some people:
- Decrease in healthy nerve cells in the brain that send signals for muscle cell formation.
- Decreased concentration of several body hormones such as growth hormone, testosterone and insulin-like growth factor (IGF).
- Impaired function of the body in digesting protein into energy.
- The body does not absorb enough calories and protein to maintain muscle mass.
2. Sedentary lifestyle
Muscle that is never used to work is a strong factor in triggering sarcopenia. Muscle contraction when working with muscles is very necessary to maintain muscle mass and strengthen muscle cells. Sarcopenia can present itself when a person has never exercised, or is experiencing a chronic illness or accident that causes him to rest in bed for long periods of time.
A period of two to three weeks of inactivity can lead to loss of muscle mass and muscle strength. Certain periods of inactivity have the potential to cause muscles to become weaker and lead to chronic fatigue. As a result, a person's activity level will tend to decrease and it will be increasingly difficult to return to a normal activity level.
Lack of physical activity is a major cause that must be addressed because muscle strength is very dependent on a person's activity patterns. Do some types of exercise such as muscle strength training, such as lifting weights and aerobic exercise. If you have trouble getting started with active activities, try a mild type of exercise such as regular walking.
3. Unbalanced diet
The way to prevent the risk of sarcopenia is to eat more foods high in protein. A balance between adequate calories and protein intake is needed by the body to maintain muscle mass. But unfortunately as we get older, changes in diet and calorie intake tend to be difficult to avoid. This is due to a decrease in the sensitivity of the tongue to taste food, difficulty digesting food, oral health problems, or difficulty accessing food ingredients. At least adults and the elderly need 25-30 grams of protein consumed at each meal to maintain muscle mass.
Chronic disease can also be a risk factor for sarcopenia
Long duration of illness not only reduces the quality of health, but also a person's ability to do activities. This condition can lead to loss of muscle mass due to inflammation and stress in the body.
Inflammation is a normal condition that usually occurs after a person experiences an illness or injury. Inflammation plays a role in sending signals to the body to carry out the cell regeneration process. However, chronic disease conditions can cause long-term inflammatory processes that disrupt the balance of new muscle cell formation and lead to muscle loss. Chronic inflammation that can reduce muscle mass can occur in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, severe burns, and chronic tuberculosis.
Chronic illness can also trigger sarcopenia due to severe stress. Stress can exacerbate the inflammatory process and lower the mood for activity. Severe stress that can trigger sarcopenia tends to be experienced by sufferers of kidney disease, chronic heart failure and cancer sufferers.
