Sarcopenia refers to a pathology characterized by an abnormal loss of muscle mass. This disease most often appears with age and is one of the most important causes of disability in the elderly. Sarcopenia is often associated with malnutrition in the elderly. Maintaining physical activity and promoting a good diet rich in milk proteins in particular helps to fight against the effects of sarcopenia, which greatly affects the daily life of people who suffer from it.
Aging affects our muscles. These are living tissues that are constantly renewed throughout life. From day to day, the worn-out proteins that make up part of the muscles are destroyed by the body and others are replenished.
But, from the age of 50, an imbalance appears between this destruction and this renewal. The destruction of proteins is indeed greater, resulting in a progressive reduction in muscle mass. It is estimated that this loss is approximately 30% between 50 and 80 years. This is a normal phenomenon.
This loss of muscle mass can nevertheless be more serious and lead to a decrease in physical performance and muscle strength in people who suffer from it. This is called sarcopenia. This pathology mainly affects sedentary elderly people who eat poorly, and greatly disrupts their quality of life. In the most severe cases, sarcopenia can lead to a significant loss of autonomy, disability, and even death.
Sarcopenia can be due to an insufficient diet, particularly with regard to protein intake, or to problems with the assimilation of food. But this disease can also be linked to other pathologies such as osteoarthritis or Parkinson's disease for example. Sarcopenia affects more sedentary people who do not have enough physical activity.
This disease is manifested by a loss of muscles visible to the naked eye. This muscle loss, as well as muscle strength, can be gauged more precisely with an electrical impedance meter that measures the percentage of muscle and fat in relation to an individual's total weight.
The diagnosis of sarcopenia can also be made through simple tests that assess the patient's balance, walking speed and ability to get up from a chair five times in a row, for example. Thus, sarcopenia is proven when the walking speed of the person with this disease is less than 1 meter/second over 6 meters or 0.8 meter/second over 4 meters.
Other tests such as getting up from a chair with armrests, walking 3 meters to a landmark, turning around and coming back to a seat, etc., can also diagnose sarcopenia.
Having an adapted physical activity and a protein-rich diet are two ways to best fight against sarcopenia.
Older people with sarcopenia are advised to engage in physical activity that strains their muscles. Physical activity does not cure sarcopenia in itself, but it allows, practiced 2 to 3 times a week, to maintain or regain one's physical abilities reduced by this disease and to improve comfort in one's life activities. daily.
The preferred physical activities are those intended to restore muscle strength. Thus, so-called load and resistance exercises help to fight against the effects of sarcopenia. Weight-bearing physical activities are those in which the feet and legs support the full weight of the body. This can be activities such as walking, or climbing stairs for example.
Resistance exercises are those that create resistance with the body or an object. They are intended to work the muscles, but also to strengthen the bones. These are exercises performed, for example, with dumbbells, weight machines, lifting objects, stretching, etc.
The processing and use of food in the body, known as nutrition, also plays an important role in preventing and fighting sarcopenia. And in particular the consumption of proteins which make up 20% of the muscles and which contribute to their renewal.
With age, the proteins used in the muscles find it more difficult to renew themselves even if the elderly normally consume protein foods. This is why the need for protein is higher in the elderly:it is thus recommended for seniors a protein intake, and more particularly those derived from milk, equivalent to 1 to 1.2 grams per kilo and per day. , when this need is 0.8 grams for young people. For women over 50, even 20 to 25 grams of protein per meal is recommended.
The proteins necessary for the elderly to reduce the consequences of sarcopenia are those found, for example, in 100 g of meat or fish, 2 large eggs, 70 g of Emmental, 90 g of camembert, ½ liter of milk , 180 g cottage cheese, 4 yoghurts, 250 g cooked semolina, 150 g pasta, etc.
