On his blog, Mercola.com, Dr. Joseph Mercola explains the aging process, and what you can do to keep your body and mind fit and sharp as you age. He writes (abridged):
- Sarcopenia — age-related muscle loss — threatens a healthy lifespan. Skeletal muscle not only manages physical activity, but also plays a major role in metabolism, circulation and cognition
- Skeletal muscle acts as endocrine organ secreting myokines and transcription factors into the bloodstream, thereby regulating the function of other organs. It also has immune regulatory properties
- The loss of muscle mass with advancing age is thought to be a primary driver of insulin resistance in older adults. Declining muscle strength and reduced physical activity also contribute to metabolic dysfunction
- Four key lifestyle strategies that have allowed me to get stronger with age are time-restricted eating in combination with a cyclical ketogenic diet, exercising while fasting and adding blood flow restriction (BFR) training to my strength training routine
- While doing any one of these in isolation would likely improve your health, when done in combination, they really catalyze synergistic changes that optimize your ability to gain muscle and lose visceral fat.
Dr. Joseph Mercola
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