Our muscles act as a store of amino acids, the building blocks of all proteins.
Along with helping us to run, walk and lift things, they help to regulate our metabolism, stabilise blood sugar levels and maintain a positive energy balance.
Muscle health is defined as muscle mass and strength.
This peaks around 25 years of age and the decline accelerates after 40, leading to functional impairment, frailty and the risk of falls in the elderly.
Sarcopenia = the loss of muscle mass, strength and function over time
Our bones store the essential minerals calcium & phoshorus, which are critical for bone strength and structure.
Bone health is crucial for blood cell production, the prevention of osteoporosis & fractures, and aides in the prevention of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Bone mass also peaks around 25-30 years old and begins to decline after 40,
so it is essential to build good bone mass in the early years of life.
Taking supplements by themselves later in life will not increase bone density or muscle mass.
This is where resistance and weight bearing exercises can help.
Protein and Muscle Health
There are 20 different amino acids that in various combinations make up all proteins. Of these, 12 can be made by the human body.
The other 8, called the essental amino acids, need to be obtained from the diet.
A complete protein is one that contains all 8 essential amino acids.
These are readily found in animal proteins.
Plant based proteins, with the exception of soy and quinoa, do not contain all the essential amino acids and so are called in-complete proteins.
You will need to consume a range of plant based proteins in larger quantities in order to obtain all the required essentials amino acids.
One of the essenstial amino acids, Leucine, is vital for muscle growth & health.
Leucine can be found in beef, chicken, fish, sea food, eggs, lentils, legumes, soybeans, almond and whole wheat.
It is recommended that a healthy diet contains around 3 grams of Leucine per day.
This can be found in:
27g scoop of whey powder
160g steak
5 eggs
900ml of milk
It is also recommended that a healthy diet contain around 1g of protein for every 1kg of body weight, so a person weighing 65kg should consume on average 65g of protein each day.
150g of chicken, lean beef or fish gives around 20-35g of protein
1 cup of milk, 170g of yoghurt or 35g of cheese has around 10-15g of protein
2 eggs, 100g tofu, 30g nuts or 1/2 cup legumes gives 5-12g of protein
Keeping this in mind, the body can only utilise around 20-30g of protein in any one meal. Excess protein is converted to and stored as carbohydrate or fat.
So it is important to spread your protein intake throughout the day rather than consume in one high protein rich meal.
Spreading protein over the day also helps regulate blood sugar.
Calcium Intake
Adequate dietary calcium levels are essential for good bone health.
Extra calcium is often recommended during adolescent growth periods and for the elderly.
The average daily calcium requirement for men is around 1000mg (1g) per day and for women 1300mg (1.3g) per day.
Vitamin D is essential for the absorbtion of calcium.
Many people may need to take a Vitamin D supplement during winter due to decreased sun exposure.
Sleep
Sleep is also important for good muscle and bone health, as well as being vital for many other aspects of health and metabolism.
We usually have three bouts of deep sleep each night and these often occur earlier rather than later, so the earlier we get to bed, the better it is for our overall health.
Benefits of deep sleep:
consolidates new memories
restores brain & body
promotes growth in muscle & bone
restores energy
supports your immune system
regenerates damaged tissues
Periods of sleep deprivation will lead to a decrease in muscle protein synthesis and have an impact on bone mineral density.
Ref: Protein, sleep and muscle health.
Dr. Dominique Condo, Orthoplex - BioConcepts,
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