After the age of 50, the metabolism and physiological reactions of the body change, especially in the women struggling with the menopause but also, albeit to a lesser extent, in the men.
The first to pay the price is almost always there muscle mass, also called lean mass, or the set of cells that make up the muscles, which if no action is taken with time it tends to decrease.
The consequence is often a body with which one may no longer feel completely at ease and, it being understood that it is essential to welcome with serenity every variation that the passage of time brings with it, it is equally important to be aware that maintain muscle mass at optimal levels also mean preserve health general.
To do it, however, once over the age of 50 it is necessary to pay more attention to your diet, making some small changes.
How metabolism changes after age 50
The fateful 50 for the women they almost always coincide with the arrival of menopause and the subsequent drop in estrogen, associated with a increased cortisol. “This leads to a total change that can result in increased cholesterol and blood pressure and redistribution of fat in the body, which accumulates mainly in the abdominal area. – explains the nutritionist Laura Coluccio – The decrease in estrogen also induces it stimulation of hunger and the craving for sugars, a condition that very often results in a weight gain and fat mass and a reduction in muscle mass ».
Despite this scenario, due to hormones, it mainly affects women, men are not exempt from it over the years and for this reason, if you want to keep your muscle mass at optimal levels, it is essential for everyone to run for cover.
First rule: increase protein consumption
the proteins are the’ally number 1 of muscle mass and they become more and more with the passage of time.
Already after the age of 40, the World Health Organization recommends increase income of daily protein, and this is further valid in the following decade, in which it is suggested to consume approximately 0.8 to 1.2 grams per kilo of body weight, obviously in the absence of further pathologies that indicate different portions.
The proteins that can best facilitate the maintenance of lean mass are those deriving from lean sources such as white meats, and then chicken, beef or turkey; fish; egg; light dairy products and legumes such as chickpeas, beans, lentils and quinoa.
“Their intake must not be casual but divided over the course of the day because by doing so you do not overload the body but put it in a position to always have available protein sources to exploit”.