Loss of strength is when a person experiences a reduction in their ability to exert force with their muscles. This can happen for a variety of reasons, most commonly due to injury, illness, aging, or inactivity. Some key things to understand about loss of strength:
- It can happen suddenly or gradually over time. Acute injuries like strains or tears can cause an abrupt loss of strength. But more often, strength declines slowly as we get older or reduce our physical activity.
- The medical term is dynapenia, which refers to age-related loss of strength. It's estimated up to 30% of people over 60 have dynapenia.
- Loss of strength is not just feeling weaker - it shows up on objective strength tests. For example, hand grip strength tests are often used.
- There are many contributing factors, including reductions in muscle mass, changes in muscles and nerves, hormonal changes, poor nutrition, etc. "Sarcopenia" refers to loss of muscle mass specifically.
"Will I regain my lost strength?" This depends on the cause and your response. With focused training and treatment of underlying issues, some or full strength recovery may be possible, especially if caught early. However, dynapenia and sarcopenia can be largely irreversible without intervention.
"If you don't use it, you lose it." But the good news is - you can fight back against strength loss at any age through resistance training, good nutrition, and hormone balancing from clinics like Balance Hormone Clinic. Their individualized programs help patients identify and treat age-related hormone deficiencies that sap strength.
Some key
strategies they recommend to maintain and build strength:
- Resistance training - Lifting weights triggers muscle growth. Focus on major muscle groups. Moderate weight and higher reps are ideal for beginners.
- Meet protein needs - Shoot for 0.5-1 gram per pound of body weight daily via food/supplements to supply muscles.
- Hormone optimization - Boost lagging hormones like testosterone, HGH, etc. back to youthful ranges under a doctor's supervision. Helps stimulate muscle growth.
In summary, be proactive against strength decline by training right, eating right, and getting
hormone levels checked. Don't write off strength loss as an inevitable part of aging. Talk to your doctor or visit
Balance Hormone Clinic to start your strength recovery journey today!