Age & Strength Loss: What Happens When, & How Much Is Unavoidable?
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When it comes to aging and loss of strength, a lot of focus is placed on loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia).
We talked about this in our article: Protein vs Sarcopenia: How Much Do We Need, Really?
And that is important, but it’s not the whole story!
Strong at every age
You can be strong at every age, if and only if you’re very intentional about it.
Researchers (Dr. Maria Westerståhl et al.) followed 427 people for 47 years, repeatedly measuring fitness, strength, muscle endurance, and power from adolescence all the way through into older adulthood.
First, the bad news: physical performance overall peaks in early adulthood and begins declining at around 26 for women and 36 for men, with initially gradual losses that accelerate with advancing age.
About that acceleration: aerobic capacity and muscular endurance initially fall by about 0.3–0.6 percent per year, later speeding up to roughly 2.0–2.5 percent per year, and the deterioration in muscle power gets a similar age-related acceleration.
Next, the worse news: physical power specifically starts its decline even sooner than the other factors, with women having their peak around 19 and men having their peak around 27.
It does, however, get worse: total losses in physical capacity from peak to age 63 range from 30–48%, which latter end of the range is quite a dramatic loss of physical capacity indeed. Note that that’s the aggregate figure, so we’re not just talking about strength here.
Is there any good news? Yes: it’s never too late! People who became physically active in adulthood improved physical capacity by about 5–10%, showing that starting later still provides meaningful benefits. To be clear, that’s a net improvement of 5–10%, we’re not talking about shaving 5–10% off the 30–48% loss.
If you want to go through all these numbers (and more) in detail, here’s the paper: Rise and Fall of Physical Capacity in a General Population: A 47-Year Longitudinal Study
As for what this means in realistic terms: you’re probably not only not as strong as you used to be, but also not as fit, fast, mobile, and so forth. Your power (explosive power, like sprints or best-effort lifts) and endurance (like long-distance cardio, or isometric holds) are probably not what they used to be either.
- On the one hand, you can improve them.
- On the other hand, you do have to actually do it—merely knowing about it will not help if you don’t take action!
So, how to do that?
Read on…
Want to learn more?
Here are some very good starting points:
- Resistance Is Useful! (Especially As We Get Older)
- Overdone It? How To Speed Up Recovery After Exercise
- How To Do HIIT (Without Wrecking Your Body)
- HIIT, But Make It HIRT ← this is about high-intensity resistance training (HIRT); confusing the muscles like one confuses the heart in HIIT, which thus yields improved results
- Exercises To Do (And Ones To Avoid) If You Have Osteoporosis ← an important consideration for many
And if you’re really serious about it, then for a much deeper dive than we have room for here, we highly recommend this excellent book we reviewed a while back:
Unbreakable: A Woman’s Guide to Aging with Power – by Dr. Vonda Wright ← So, she wants us to avoid the train of sarcopenia → osteopenia → osteoporosis → fractures → infections → death, by reducing our risk factors early, and staying more robust and biologically younger.
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How tubal ligation prevents pregnancy
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In February, a Michigan state representative spoke out about undergoing surgery to prevent pregnancy. Her speech prompted questions about procedures like tubal ligation, sometimes called “getting your tubes tied,” which is increasingly common in states with abortion bans.
It’s a safe and highly effective procedure, and unlike most forms of birth control, it permanently prevents pregnancy.
Read on to learn how tubal ligation works, what to expect if you get one, and more.
How does tubal ligation prevent pregnancy?
During a tubal ligation surgery, a doctor cuts or ties the fallopian tubes, which stops your eggs from entering the uterus. This also stops sperm from traveling through the fallopian tubes to fertilize the eggs.
Is tubal ligation permanent?
Tubal ligation is meant to be permanent. Sometimes it’s possible to reverse the procedure, but this can be an expensive and complicated surgery.
“A limited number of physicians do that, and it doesn’t always work,” said Dr. Erica Schipper, an OB-GYN at Sanford Health, on a recent podcast. “So, I do tell my patients, ‘You should be very sure that you want a permanent form of contraception if you go ahead with this.’”
What should you expect during and after a tubal ligation?
If you’re undergoing a tubal ligation, you can expect to receive general anesthesia to sleep through the procedure, which takes 20 to 30 minutes to complete. It’s usually a laparoscopic surgery, a minimally invasive procedure to see inside your abdomen using a camera. Afterward, you might feel groggy and experience some pain.
Most people recover within a couple of days, but you should avoid lifting anything heavier than 12 pounds for a week after the procedure and avoid swimming or taking baths for at least two weeks. You may experience vaginal bleeding for up to one month after surgery.
Doctors typically advise patients to wait at least one week after the procedure before having sex. This allows the surgical site to heal and reduces the risk of infection.
Some patients may opt to get their tubes tied during a cesarean, or C-section. In this case, the surgeon uses the incision that was made in the abdomen to deliver the baby to access the fallopian tubes. After a C-section, most people stay in the hospital for two to three days before recovering fully at home in four to six weeks.
How effective is it?
Tubal ligation is more than 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy.
If you’re not ready for permanent birth control, there are other highly effective options. Getting an intrauterine device, or an IUD, is also more than 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy and lasts for several years. A health care provider can remove your IUD if you want to get pregnant.
Learn about other forms of birth control from Planned Parenthood.
What are the risks?
Getting your tubes tied is safe, but like all surgeries, it comes with some risks, like infection of the surgical site or allergic reaction to anesthesia.
“Any risk that comes with any laparoscopic surgery comes with this one,” Schipper added. “That said, this is a procedure that is done quite frequently and usually goes very well.”
Where can you get a tubal ligation?
You can get a tubal ligation at a health care provider’s office, hospital, or health clinic like Planned Parenthood.
How much does it cost?
Depending on your health insurance, tubal ligation can cost anywhere from $0 to $6,000, including follow-up visits.
If you’re worried about affording the procedure, contact your local Planned Parenthood to learn about free or lower-cost forms of birth control.
What barriers may people face when seeking a tubal ligation?
Some patients struggle to get a tubal ligation due to cost, appointment shortages, opposition from partners, and health care providers who are reluctant to perform the surgery on younger patients.
“I will routinely see patients that have been denied by other people because of, ‘Ah, you might want to have kids in the future.’ ‘You don’t have enough kids.’ ‘Are you sure you want to do this? It’s not reversible,’” said Dr. Alexis O’Leary, a Helena, Montana, OB-GYN in a June 2024 article from KFF Health News. If your health care provider is unwilling to perform a tubal ligation, see another provider or visit your local Planned Parenthood.
If you are unable to access a tubal ligation, discuss other birth control options with your health care provider. You can also talk to your partner about getting a vasectomy, if this applies to them. This minor surgical procedure for people with penises stops them from releasing sperm into semen, thus avoiding pregnancy. Vasectomies are meant to be permanent, and the procedure is less invasive and less expensive than a tubal ligation.
For more information, talk to your health care provider.
This article first appeared on Public Good News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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Could ADHD drugs reduce the risk of early death? Unpacking the findings from a new Swedish study
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Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can have a considerable impact on the day-to-day functioning and overall wellbeing of people affected. It causes a variety of symptoms including difficulty focusing, impulsivity and hyperactivity.
For many, a diagnosis of ADHD, whether in childhood or adulthood, is life changing. It means finally having an explanation for these challenges, and opens up the opportunity for treatment, including medication.
Although ADHD medications can cause side effects, they generally improve symptoms for people with the disorder, and thereby can significantly boost quality of life.
Now a new study has found being treated for ADHD with medication reduces the risk of early death for people with the disorder. But what can we make of these findings?
A large study from Sweden
The study, published this week in JAMA (the prestigious journal of the American Medical Association), was a large cohort study of 148,578 people diagnosed with ADHD in Sweden. It included both adults and children.
In a cohort study, a group of people who share a common characteristic (in this case a diagnosis of ADHD) are followed over time to see how many develop a particular health outcome of interest (in this case the outcome was death).
For this study the researchers calculated the mortality rate over a two-year follow up period for those whose ADHD was treated with medication (a group of around 84,000 people) alongside those whose ADHD was not treated with medication (around 64,000 people). The team then determined if there were any differences between the two groups.
What did the results show?
The study found people who were diagnosed and treated for ADHD had a 19% reduced risk of death from any cause over the two years they were tracked, compared with those who were diagnosed but not treated.
In understanding this result, it’s important – and interesting – to look at the causes of death. The authors separately analysed deaths due to natural causes (physical medical conditions) and deaths due to unnatural causes (for example, unintentional injuries, suicide, or accidental poisonings).
The key result is that while no significant difference was seen between the two groups when examining natural causes of death, the authors found a significant difference for deaths due to unnatural causes.
So what’s going on?
Previous studies have suggested ADHD is associated with an increased risk of premature death from unnatural causes, such as injury and poisoning.
On a related note, earlier studies have also suggested taking ADHD medicines may reduce premature deaths. So while this is not the first study to suggest this association, the authors note previous studies addressing this link have generated mixed results and have had significant limitations.
In this new study, the authors suggest the reduction in deaths from unnatural causes could be because taking medication alleviates some of the ADHD symptoms responsible for poor outcomes – for example, improving impulse control and decision-making. They note this could reduce fatal accidents.
The authors cite a number of studies that support this hypothesis, including research showing ADHD medications may prevent the onset of mood, anxiety and substance use disorders, and lower the risk of accidents and criminality. All this could reasonably be expected to lower the rate of unnatural deaths.
Strengths and limitations
Scandinavian countries have well-maintained national registries that collect information on various aspects of citizens’ lives, including their health. This allows researchers to conduct excellent population-based studies.
Along with its robust study design and high-quality data, another strength of this study is its size. The large number of participants – almost 150,000 – gives us confidence the findings were not due to chance.
The fact this study examined both children and adults is another strength. Previous research relating to ADHD has often focused primarily on children.
One of the important limitations of this study acknowledged by the authors is that it was observational. Observational studies are where the researchers observe and analyse naturally occurring phenomena without intervening in the lives of the study participants (unlike randomised controlled trials).
The limitation in all observational research is the issue of confounding. This means we cannot be completely sure the differences between the two groups observed were not either partially or entirely due to some other factor apart from taking medication.
Specifically, it’s possible lifestyle factors or other ADHD treatments such as psychological counselling or social support may have influenced the mortality rates in the groups studied.
Another possible limitation is the relatively short follow-up period. What the results would show if participants were followed up for longer is an interesting question, and could be addressed in future research.
What are the implications?
Despite some limitations, this study adds to the evidence that diagnosis and treatment for ADHD can make a profound difference to people’s lives. As well as alleviating symptoms of the disorder, this study supports the idea ADHD medication reduces the risk of premature death.
Ultimately, this highlights the importance of diagnosing ADHD early so the appropriate treatment can be given. It also contributes to the body of evidence indicating the need to improve access to mental health care and support more broadly.
Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Four Thousand Weeks – by Oliver Burkeman
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This is not, strictly speaking, a time management book. It’s more a “contemplating mortality and making things count while still doing the necessaries”.
Burkeman’s premise is that we get around 4,000 weeks of life, on average. If we live to 120, it’s more like 6,200. Unlucky souls may have to do the best they can with 1,000 or so.
The book is thought-provoking; consider:
- how was your last week?
- how will your next week be?
- what if it were your last?
Of course, we cannot necessarily liquidate all our assets and spend next week burning out in style, because then the following week comes. So, what’s the solution?
That’s something Burkeman lays out over the course of the book, with key ideas including passion projects and figuring out what can be safely neglected, but there’s far more there than we could sum up here.
Bottom line: if you ever find yourself struggling to balance what is expected of you with what is of value to you, this book can help you get the most out of your choices.
Click here to check out Four Thousand Weeks, and make yours count!
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The Rise Of The Machines
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In this week’s health science news, several pieces of technology caught our eye. Let’s hope these things roll out widely!
When it comes to UTIs, antimicrobial resistance is taking the p—
This has implications far beyond UTIs—though UTIs can be a bit of a “canary in the coal mine” for antimicrobial resistance. The more people are using antibiotics (intentionally, or because they are in the food chain), the more killer bugs are proliferating instead of dying when we give them something to kill them. And yes: they do proliferate sometimes when given antibiotics, not because the antibiotics did anything directly good for them, but because they killed their (often friendly bacteria) competition. Thus making for a double-whammy of woe.
This development tackles that, by using AI modelling to crunch the numbers of a real-time data-driven personalized approach to give much more accurate treatment options, in a way that a human couldn’t (or at least, couldn’t at anything like the same speed, and most family physicians don’t have a mathematician locked in the back room to spend the night working on a patient’s data).
Read in full: AI can help tackle urinary tract infections and antimicrobial resistance
Related: AI: The Doctor That Never Tires?
When it comes to CPR and women, people are feint of heart
When CPR is needed, time is very much of the essence. And yet, bystanders are much less likely to give CPR to a woman than to a man. Not only that, but CPR-training is part of what leads to this reluctance when it comes to women: the mannequins used are very homogenous, being male (94%) and lean (99%). They’re also usually white (88%) even in countries where the populations are not, but that is less critical. After all, a racist person is less likely to give CPR to a person of color regardless of what color the training mannequin was.
However, the mannequins being male and lean is an issue, because it means people suddenly lack confidence when faced with breasts and/or abundant body fat. Both can prompt the bystander to wonder if some different technique is needed (it isn’t), and breasts can also prompt the bystander to fear doing something potentially “improper” (the proper course of action is: save a person’s life; do not get distracted by breasts).
Read in full: Women are less likely to receive CPR than men. Training on manikins with breasts could help ← there are also CPR instructions (and a video demonstration) there, for anyone who wants a refresher, if perhaps your last first-aid course was a while ago!
Related: Heart Attack: His & Hers (Be Prepared!)
When technology is a breath of fresh air
A woman with COPD and COVID has had her very damaged lungs replaced using a da Vinci X robot to perform a minimally-invasive surgery (which is quite a statement, when it comes to replacing someone’s lungs).
Not without human oversight though—surgeon Dr. Stephanie Chang was directing the transplant. Surgery is rarely fun for the person being operated on, but advances like this make things go a lot more smoothly, so this kind of progress is good to see.
Read in full: Woman receives world’s first robotic double-lung transplant
Related: Why Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Is More Likely Than You Think
Take care!
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Going for a bushwalk? 3 handy foods to have in your backpack (including muesli bars)
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This time of year, many of us love to get out and spend time in nature. This may include hiking through Australia’s many beautiful national parks.
Walking in nature is a wonderful activity, supporting both physical and mental health. But there can be risks and it’s important to be prepared.
You may have read the news about hiker, Hadi Nazari, who was recently found alive after spending 13 days lost in Kosciuszko National Park.
He reportedly survived for almost two weeks in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales by drinking fresh water from creeks, and eating foraged berries and two muesli bars.
So next time you’re heading out for a day of hiking, what foods should you pack?
Here are my three top foods to carry on a bushwalk that are dense in nutrients and energy, lightweight and available from the local grocery store.
Leah-Anne Thompson/Shutterstock 1. Muesli bars
Nazari reportedly ate two muesli bars he found in a mountain hut. Whoever left the muesli bars there made a great choice.
Muesli bars come individually wrapped, which helps them last longer and makes them easy to transport.
They are also a good source of energy. Muesli bars typically contain about 1,500–1,900 kilojoules per 100 grams. The average energy content for a 35g bar is about 614kJ.
This may be a fraction of what you’d usually need in a day. However, the energy from muesli bars is released at a slow to moderate pace, which will help keep you going for longer.
Muesli bars are also packed with nutrients. They contain all three macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat) that our body needs to function. They’re a good source of carbohydrates, in particular, which are a key energy source. An average Australian muesli bar contains 14g of whole grains, which provide carbohydrates and dietary fibre for long-lasting energy.
Muesli bars that contain nuts are typically higher in fat (19.9g per 100g) and protein (9.4g per 100g) than those without.
Fat and protein are helpful for slowing down the release of energy from foods and the protein will help keep you feeling full for longer.
There are many different types of muesli bars to choose from. I recommend looking for those with whole grains, higher dietary fibre and higher protein content.
2. Nuts
Nuts are nature’s savoury snack and are also a great source of energy. Cashews, pistachios and peanuts contain about 2,300-2,400kJ per 100g while Brazil nuts, pecans and macadamias contain about 2,700-3,000kJ per 100g. So a 30g serving of nuts will provide about 700-900kJ depending on the type of nut.
Just like muesli bars, the energy from nuts is released slowly. So even a relatively small quantity will keep you powering on.
Nuts are also full of nutrients, such as protein, fat and fibre, which will help to stave off hunger and keep you moving for longer.
When choosing which nuts to pack, almost any type of nut is going to be great.
Peanuts are often the best value for money, or go for something like walnuts that are high in omega-3 fatty acids, or a nut mix.
Whichever nut you choose, go for the unsalted natural or roasted varieties. Salted nuts will make you thirsty.
Nut bars are also a great option and have the added benefit of coming in pre-packed serves (although nuts can also be easily packed into re-usable containers).
If you’re allergic to nuts, roasted chickpeas are another option. Just try to avoid those with added salt.
Nuts are nature’s savoury snack and are also a great source of energy. Eakrat/Shutterstock 3. Dried fruit
If nuts are nature’s savoury snack, fruit is nature’s candy. Fresh fruits (such as grapes, frozen in advance) are wonderfully refreshing and perfect as an everyday snack, although can add a bit of weight to your hiking pack.
So if you’re looking to reduce the weight you’re carrying, go for dried fruit. It’s lighter and will withstand various conditions better than fresh fruit, so is less likely to spoil or bruise on the journey.
There are lots of varieties of dried fruits, such as sultanas, dried mango, dried apricots and dried apple slices.
These are good sources of sugar for energy, fibre for fullness and healthy digestion, and contain lots of vitamins and minerals. So choose one (or a combination) that works for you.
Don’t forget water
Next time you head out hiking for the day, you’re all set with these easily available, lightweight, energy- and nutrient-dense snacks.
This is not the time to be overly concerned about limiting your sugar or fat intake. Hiking, particularly in rough terrain, places demands on your body and energy needs. For instance, an adult hiking in rough terrain can burn upwards of about 2,000kJ per hour.
And of course, don’t forget to take plenty of water.
Having access to even limited food, and plenty of fresh water, will not only make your hike more pleasurable, it can save your life.
Margaret Murray, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Swinburne University of Technology
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Sprint vs HIIT, & Why Most People’s Cardio Isn’t Working
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Cori Lefkowitz, of “Strong at Every Age”, explains:
Let’s HIIT it!
Cardio needs both ends of the effort spectrum—mixing full-on sprints with walking (or equivalent gentle movement for other exercises) improves how efficiently our body burns fuel, builds endurance, and recovers.
However, not all interval training is equal: different movements and work-to-rest ratios completely alter outcomes, affecting strength work, fat loss, and recovery differently.
For example:
- Spring Interval Training (SIT) uses short, explosive, 100%-effort intervals that improve our speed, power, recovery, and body composition while keeping our metabolism responsive.
- High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in general, however, is usually a little less than 100%, because working around 80% intensity can support fat-loss phases, longer circuits, and general conditioning when muscle building isn’t the main priority.
- Steady State Cardio (SSC), otherwise often simply called endurance training, also has its role, but long, continuous endurance work can become catabolic if overused, and as such, can break down muscle unless balanced with strength and sprint work.
How to identify a true sprint: per Lefkowitz’s definition, if you can hold the intensity for more than 30 seconds, it’s no longer a sprint; these sessions should stay short and high-quality.
Remember also that rest is important too, as without enough rest, you train fatigue instead of explosiveness, slowing the benefits.
It matters even more as we get older, because explosive training helps preserve lean muscle, balance hormones, improve reaction times, and counter menopausal shifts that encourage belly-fat storage specifically.
As for when you do want to take it a little easier, that too has its place, since walking lowers stress hormones, improves recovery, regulates blood sugar, and supports fat-burning without adding more stress.
In short, a mix of the above is needed, since high-intensity work is a positive stressor, but still stress; without walking and recovery, you’d soon hit diminishing returns.
For more on all of this plus some admittedly superfluous visual demonstrations (but hey, it’s a video) enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
7 Kinds Of Rest When Sleep Is Not Enough
Take care!
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