Can Food Reverse Age-related Muscle Loss?

I can’t imagine any all-American pastime greater than baseball.

I recently went to watch the Yankees play the White Sox at Yankee Stadium with my eight year-old daughter and my father, who was visiting from Southeast Texas. Although the Yankees lost 4-1, the game afforded three hours of nonstop excitement. The power generated by MLB batters when hitting a baseball never ceases to amaze me.

After the age of 30, batting and pitching (even throwing a football) becomes more challenging for everyone due to a condition known as sarcopenia, the age-related loss of lean muscle mass. After the age of 30, people can lose between 3 to 5 percent of their lean muscle mass per decade.

Why is sarcopenia something that you need to be concerned with? Even though you may not be an MLB player or a PGA golfer, you rely on your muscles for mobility and balance. Reduced muscle mass raises your odds of suffering a fall injury that can be devastating, particularly if it leads to a fracture or head injury. Due to the crucial role that muscle plays in glucose metabolism, losing muscle mass also increases your odds of developing Type 2 diabetes.