Tom Mueller: Exercise, diet vital for both physical and brain health

Article content

By the age of 70, we lose about a third of our muscle mass, typically starting in our 30s, according to the National Institute on Aging. Typically, this segues to frailty. The brain also shrinks in volume; from its peak in early adulthood, to a potential 10 per cent loss by age 90, often segueing to dementia.

Scientists now understand that biological aging need not align with chronological age. New insights into the so-called Muscle-Brain Axis indicate that a corrected refocus on exercise and diet prove just as beneficial to brain volume and cognitive function as to muscle mass and functional strength.

Unfortunately, a recent ground-breaking study published in the journal Circulation raises alarm that current medical guidelines, addressing minimum requirements for exercise, are woefully outdated and fail to reflect the latest research findings.

The study notes that “any combination of medium to high levels” of vigorous (75 to 300 minutes per week) and moderate physical activity (150 to 600 minutes per week) “can provide nearly the maximum mortality reduction,” which is about 35 to 42 per cent.

These numbers are astounding. The study effectively calls for an increase of two-to-four times the current recommended guidelines, but doing so would translate into even greater health benefits than those gained from a smoker quitting smoking.

Muscle is generated on a need-to-use basis. Bouts of inactivity inexorably erode muscle strength. Even brief episodes due to fleeting illness, elective surgery or simply a leisurely beach vacation incrementally add to overall depletion of muscle mass, akin to a thousand small cuts.

After our 30s, our efficiency in using dietary molecules for tissue replenishment also decreases, explaining in large part why brains and muscles atrophy with age. This means seniors actually need larger, not smaller, meal portions with a focus on protein consumption and a reduction in carbohydrates.

Peter Attia’s podcasts excellently summarize the latest research in nutrition, featuring experts like Dr. L.J.C. van Loon of Maastricht University and Don Layman at the University of Illinois, who are pioneers in the field. These discussions reveal that as we age, our daily protein requirements increase, suggesting a need for dosing in the range of 20-30 grams of protein four times a day. Supplements like whey isolate are not just for bodybuilders any more.

On the subject of supplements: Dom D’Agostino leads a vanguard of expert opinion condemning off-the-shelf liquid meal supplementation products commonly sold in supermarkets and pharmacies. Parenthetically, these products are even worse for cancer patients, according to a growing cohort of frontline researchers led by Lew Cantley, Dom D’Agostino and others.

A good diet without good exercise still falls short of the mark. Aerobic exercise must be complemented with resistance or strength training, using dumbbells, barbells, weight machines, or resistance bands. According to Peter Attia, skipping more than three days of resistance training weekly is to fight a losing battle.

Here’s the good news: Encouraging findings from Luc van Loon’s muscle biopsy studies demonstrate how the muscle tissue of a 70-year-old becomes indistinguishable from that of a 30-year-old, with the right diet and exercise regimen. This transformative potential extends to brain health, emphasizing the profound impact of lifestyle choices on brainspan and healthspan.

These astounding scientific breakthroughs can be summarized as: “The longer you live, the healthier you have been.” It’s never too early – or too late – to thwart Father Time.

Tom Mueller is a former biomedical researcher, retired teacher and columnist for Brunswick News. He is presenting information based on scientific literature, but he is not a medical doctor and this column does not constitute medical advice.