Latest news with #sarcopenia
The Guardian
30-06-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
The grip secret: it could be the key to a long and healthy life – here's how to improve yours
Anyone who has ever dropped their phone in the toilet – and isn't that all of us? – knows something about the importance of a good strong grip. We come into the world ready to grasp anything placed in our hands, and if we are lucky we leave it the same way. In between, grip lets us cling to our parents, hold our lovers, rock our babies. The morning I wrote this, before I was even dressed, it enabled me to strap on my watch, lock the kids out of the bathroom, wash my hands, insert my contact lenses, strip, shower, brush my teeth, take my medicine and check my phone. A few hours later, as I hung upside down on some gymnastics rings, it stopped me slipping off and cracking my head on the floor. But you know what? This just scratches the surface. Not only does grip help you work, play and pull your trousers on in the morning; it offers an immediate insight into your health. To put it bluntly, the weaker your grip, the more likely you are to die early. Find that hard to swallow? A study of 140,000 adults in 17 countries found that a weak grip went hand in hand with a higher risk of heart attack and stroke, and was a better guide to 'all-cause mortality' than blood pressure. It is associated with osteoporosis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, fall risk and obesity, as well as cognitive decline. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, it is also linked to age-related muscle loss, or sarcopenia. For all these reasons and more, doctors often use grip strength as a quick measure of a patient's health, including their ability to recover from surgery or live independently. 'It's a really easy thing to test,' says physiotherapist Sarah Milner. 'You don't need to hook someone up to a machine, you don't need to look at their muscle mass, you don't need to take their weight …' The only real drawback is that it focuses on upper-body strength, which is why patient assessments often combine a grip test with a sit-to-stand, which gauges lower-body strength. Grip strength reliably reflects 'total body strength, neuromuscular coordination and cardiovascular resilience', in the words of Delhi GP Ramit Singh Sambyal. He says that patients in their 50s with a surprisingly weak grip often report fatigue, slower recovery after minor illnesses and a higher percentage of body fat. Conversely, those with a stronger grip tend to have better functional fitness and recover more quickly. To be clear, no one is saying a weak grip will kill you directly, in the way that heart failure will. But it usually indicates problems far beyond your hands and wrists. We don't yet have the scientific studies to back this up, but it seems reasonable to assume that anything that improves it will also improve your overall health. It will certainly improve your quality of life. Some weakening of the grip is inevitable as we get older. 'From about 50, muscle mass and nerve function gradually decline,' says Samantha Shann, occupational therapist at Oak Tree Mobility and the president of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. 'But staying active – particularly with meaningful and hands-on tasks – helps slow the process.' Actually, we should be talking about grips rather than grip. As well as crush grip, which lets us shake a hand or hold a dumbbell, we mostly rely on pinch grip (think of turning a key or holding a plate) and support grip (to carry something like shopping), though there are enough subcategories to make your head spin. The more precise types may need to be trained with more delicate exercises, but in general what strengthens one grip also benefits the others, by working the flexor muscles that clench our fingers and thumbs, and the extensor muscles that straighten them, as well as our wrists and forearms and sometimes our upper arms and shoulders, too. How do you know whether all this needs attention? Sometimes looking is enough. Lucy Joslin teaches calisthenics, which features a lot of dangling from rings or pull-up bars, and handstands, where often the only thing keeping you balanced is the way your hands grip and flex against the floor. Every class begins with exercises for the hands, wrists and shoulders – bending them, stretching them, putting weight on them, frequently in quite uncomfortable positions. 'I look at people's hands all day long,' she says. 'You can tell unconditioned hands from conditioned hands – the people who are in touch with their fingertips and the people who are not. And then they go to grip a pull-up bar and it's like their hands can't close properly. And as for hanging off the bar, which is something I take for granted … no. And it's not just because they don't have the strength in their shoulders.' Milner, meanwhile, says her job has given her 'monkey grip'. As a result, 'I like doing bar hangs. That for me, is like, 'Where's my grip strength at?' And I know that if I'm fatigued my bar hang is a piece of shit.' On a good day she can hang for 90-120 seconds. When she told me this, I thought I'd see how long I could manage. Thanks to almost a year of calisthenics I made it to 90 seconds – but the last 45 were pretty unpleasant. There are gentler ways of testing, though. 'You can do it by squeezing a tennis ball and seeing how long you can hold your tightest grip,' Milner suggests. Do that regularly and you'll be able to track whether your grip is improving or deteriorating. 'I encourage clients to notice how they manage everyday tasks,' says Shann. 'Can they open a tight jar, wring out a cloth or carry a kettle comfortably? These are all functional ways of assessing grip.' For a more formal measurement, you'll normally squeeze (all right, crush) a device known as a dynamometer. You can get one of these for less than £20, though it may not be as accurate as medical-grade equipment. 'Grip strength varies with age and gender,' says Shann, but broadly speaking here's how much force you should be able to exert: Age 18 to 25 Women 27-31kg, men 46-52kgAge 26 to 35 Women 26-30kg, men 44-50kgAge 36 to 45 Women 25-29kg, men 42-48kgAge 46 to 60 Women 20-28kg, men 35-47kgAge 61 to 75 Women 18-26kg, men 30-45kgOver 75 Women 16-20kg, men 25-40kg 'While everyone's baseline differs,' Shann says, 'these numbers can highlight the need for support or intervention. It could mean a person is at risk of frailty, especially if combined with fatigue or reduced mobility.' Remember what I said about accuracy? Naturally, I had to try a dynamometer myself. The first one I bought gave me a reading of 39.1kg, which as a 61-year-old I should have been happy with. It still felt a little low given how much time I spend hanging from things. So I got another and squeezed it all the way to 46.6kg. I'm not sure which reading is more realistic, but I know which is better for my ego. Still, to put both into proportion, the world-record squeeze is more than 170kg. But what can you do if you're not happy with your result? 'I often recommend turning everyday activities into opportunities for strengthening,' says Shann. 'Tasks like cooking, gardening or carrying laundry all challenge grip in a natural and functional way. Structured exercises can be added in when more support is needed, such as a tennis ball squeeze (hold for three seconds, release, and repeat 10 times per hand, daily) or a towel twist (roll a towel and twist it in opposite directions, for one or two minutes a few times a week). I usually tell clients they can expect to notice small improvements in four to six weeks if they're consistent.' And those little gadgets where you try to force two handles together with your hand, against the resistance of a spring? I've somehow accumulated five of them, rated all the way from 50lb (23kg) to 250lb (113kg). I can barely make that last one move. Forget them, says Milner. What originally attracted me to them – that it's so easy to crank out squeeze after squeeze after squeeze – is also what makes them dangerous. 'They're terrible,' she says. 'People start using them and they give themselves some form of tendinopathy [tendon damage] from overloading. That repetitive gripping is awful.' Better to take a less direct, more holistic approach. 'When it comes to strengthening,' she says, 'it's really important to talk not just about your hand and your forearm, but about the whole kinetic chain.' This is the physios' way of saying that everything is linked; no muscle is an island; the toe bone's connected to the foot bone … 'The shoulder and the scapula – the shoulder blade – are intrinsically linked to grip strength,' Milner says. 'So I would do things like full-body strength training or functional strength training.' Imagine you're in a push-up position, say. 'If you've got your hands on the floor, and you're weight-bearing with a flat palm, or you start doing different types of grip on the floor, you're already strengthening your palm muscles and your forearm muscles, and you're loading up the shoulder blade. And then you can play with taking one hand off the ground and doing shoulder taps, or doing down dogs or a high plank. 'That's going to strengthen your wrists and hand muscles, but it's also going to hit you higher up the chain. It will also train your proprioception, which is basically knowing where your wrists and finger joints are in space, as well as your elbow and shoulder. And that is massively linked to strength, because if you have no idea where anything is, you're going to really struggle to be strong in that area.' Train your grip, in other words, by training things that aren't obviously your grip. And throw away those squeezy things. Six ways to improve your grip, by physiotherapist Sarah Milner At home Push-ups These come in many variations, so if they seem intimidating, you can adjust the difficulty by changing the angle, the position of your hands and the distribution of your weight. Start standing with your hands on the wall for a simple push exercise and progress this to the classic horizontal version on the floor. You can make this more challenging by playing with the position of your hands (wider, more narrow) and where your weight goes through (fists, just fingertips). Wet towel wrings Soak a towel in water, then grip and twist it to wring it out. Use both hands, and twist in both directions to improve the strength of your forearm and hand flexor muscles. Pinch grip holds Find the heaviest book in your house and take it between your fingers and thumb in a classic 'pinch grip' position. See how long you can hold it. You can play with the position of your arm (by your side, out in front of your body, above your head) and how bent or straight your elbow joint is. In the gym Dead hangs Try to hold on to a bar as long as your grip will allow you. You can change your hand position to challenge different hand and forearm muscles (neutral, supinated or pronated). This is a great exercise that helps activate your shoulder muscles, which are so important for grip strength. (Confused about those hand positions? If you stand with your arms by your sides, thumbs facing forwards is neutral. Palms facing forwards is supinated. And palms facing back is pronated.) Barbell bent-over rows This is a great multi-muscle exercise; the heavier you go, the harder your arm muscles, shoulders, shoulder blades and core have to work. Make sure you progress the weight steadily, and get a professional to guide you if you're concerned about your form. You can use either a pronated or a supinated grip. Reverse kettlebell above-head shoulder press. Hold on to the handle of an upside-down kettlebell (the ball part should be at the top and handle at the bottom). Try to keep your wrist in a neutral position (and straight) as you complete a strict above-head shoulder press. Try to move slowly and avoid the kettle collapsing down. This will challenge all of your arm and hand muscles as well as improving joint control and stability through the shoulder, elbow and wrist.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This common molecule could reverse muscle ageing and prevent frailty, scientists say
A common molecule found in the body could be targeted to turn aged muscle cells to become young again, helping prevent frailty in older people, a new study suggests. The populations of developed countries are getting older, leading to higher rates of associated frailty and debilitation among their people. Gradual muscle loss in these populations is accelerated by the poor capacity of muscle tissues in older people to repair injury, especially after falls or surgeries. This leads to a condition called sarcopenia, or low muscle mass, in older people, making them prone to even more frailty and movement problems. Previous studies have shown that muscle stem cells play a key role in repairing such tissue damage, but they become dysfunctional with age. Researchers have been trying to understand how aged stem cells differ from young ones and to find ways to reverse these changes. A new study, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, reveals that aged mice treated with a naturally occurring molecule in the body called Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) show improved regeneration and strength of aged muscle. Scientists also found that the PGE2 molecule works by counteracting stem cell ageing. In the study, researchers examined the effects of PGE2 and its related molecule EP4 on the body. Previous research has shown that during muscle injury, PGE2 triggers muscle stem cells to regenerate the muscles of young mice. In aged mice, scientists found that the EP4 production in muscle stem cells was either lacking, or reduced by half compared to levels found in young stem cells. 'PGE2 is an alarm clock to wake up the stem cells and repair the damage. Aging essentially reduces the volume of the alarm and the stem cells have also put on ear plugs,' said study author Yu Xin Wang. The new research has found a way to reset the intensity of this cellular alarm clock. When scientists gave a stable form of PGE2 to aged mice after muscle injury and in conjunction with exercise, they found that the treated mice gained more muscle mass and were stronger compared to untreated ones. 'What amazes me most is that a single dose of treatment is sufficient to restore muscle stem cell function, and that the benefit lasts far beyond the duration of the drug,' Dr Wang said. 'In addition to making new muscle, the stem cells stay in the tissue, where they sustain the effect of the PGE2 and instil the muscle with further capacity to regenerate,' he said. The study found that PGE2 treatment can restore stem cell function and reverse many of the age-related changes in mice muscles. 'PGE2 has been implicated in the regenerative process and signalling for the intestine, liver, and several other tissues, potentially opening up an approach that could restore the renewing capacity of other aged tissues,' Dr Wang said. 'We have discovered that the PGE2 induces rejuvenation of aged muscle stem cells, which leads to functional improvements in muscle repair and strength,' scientists concluded.
The Independent
16-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
African fish may hold key to reversing muscle ageing in humans, scientists say
Scientists have used a 'surprising' new animal model – the African killifish – to show that muscles reverse to an 'early-life' state towards the end of life, an advance which may lead to reversing age-related strength loss in humans. While previous research has shown that muscles start to waste in old age in a condition called sarcopenia, the precise reason or the mechanism by which this happens has remained elusive. In the new study, scientists from the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) at Monash University found, using what they call the 'surprising' new animal model, that towards the end of life, muscles actually reverse to an 'early-life' state that slows death. The findings, published recently in the journal Aging Cell, offer clues to slowing, halting, or even reversing age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, researchers say. They highlight that the findings also come at a critical time when the world is witnessing a dramatic increase in the prevalence and severity of sarcopenia throughout the ageing global population. 'There is a pressing need to understand the mechanisms that drive sarcopenia, so that we can identify and implement suitable medical interventions to promote healthy muscle ageing,' study co-author Peter Currie from ARMI said. The African turquoise killifish, scientifically known as Nothobranchius furzeri, has emerged recently as a new model animal for studying ageing. This is aided by the fact that the killifish, which live for an average of 4 to 6 months, have the shortest known life span among vertebrates bred in captivity. Their short life span is also accompanied by symptoms of ageing seen in humans such as the appearance of cancerous lesions in the liver and gonads, reduced regenerative capacity of the limbs (fin), and genetic hallmarks of human ageing as well as shortening of the end of chromosomes. In the new study, which is the first to use the killifish to study sarcopenia, scientists characterised the cells and molecules of its skeletal muscle from early life, aged and extremely old late-life stages. The comparisons revealed many similarities to sarcopenia in humans and other mammals, researchers say. They say the same signature signs of ageing are reversed during the late-life stage in humans and the killifish, 'suggesting that in extremely old animals, there may be mechanisms in place that prevent further deterioration of skeletal muscle health, which may ultimately contribute to an extension of their life span'. 'Importantly, the late-life stage during which we observed improved muscle health perfectly coincides with a stage when mortality rates decline,' Avnika Ruparelia, another author of the study, said. 'We therefore postulate that the improvement in muscle health may be a critical factor contributing to the extension of life span in extremely old individuals,' Dr Ruparelia said. Scientists also analysed the metabolism of fish at different stages of the ageing process. They found that some features of the metabolism of the very oldest fish were rejuvenated to resemble those of young fish. Researchers found a critical role played by lipid metabolism in this rejuvenation process. 'During extreme old age, there is a striking depletion of lipids, which are the main energy reserves in our cells,' Dr Currie explained. 'We believe that this mimics a state of calorie restriction, a process known to extend life span in other organisms, which results in activation of downstream mechanisms ultimately enabling the animal to maintain nutrient balance and live longer. A similar process is seen in the muscle of highly trained athletes,' he explained. Scientists say the finding that potential drug interventions can manipulate metabolism linked to ageing is an exciting prospect, 'especially given the social, economic and healthcare costs associated with the ever-growing aged population around the world.'
The Independent
16-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
This common molecule could reverse muscle ageing and prevent frailty, scientists say
A common molecule found in the body could be targeted to turn aged muscle cells to become young again, helping prevent frailty in older people, a new study suggests. The populations of developed countries are getting older, leading to higher rates of associated frailty and debilitation among their people. Gradual muscle loss in these populations is accelerated by the poor capacity of muscle tissues in older people to repair injury, especially after falls or surgeries. This leads to a condition called sarcopenia, or low muscle mass, in older people, making them prone to even more frailty and movement problems. Previous studies have shown that muscle stem cells play a key role in repairing such tissue damage, but they become dysfunctional with age. Researchers have been trying to understand how aged stem cells differ from young ones and to find ways to reverse these changes. A new study, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, reveals that aged mice treated with a naturally occurring molecule in the body called Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) show improved regeneration and strength of aged muscle. Scientists also found that the PGE2 molecule works by counteracting stem cell ageing. In the study, researchers examined the effects of PGE2 and its related molecule EP4 on the body. Previous research has shown that during muscle injury, PGE2 triggers muscle stem cells to regenerate the muscles of young mice. In aged mice, scientists found that the EP4 production in muscle stem cells was either lacking, or reduced by half compared to levels found in young stem cells. 'PGE2 is an alarm clock to wake up the stem cells and repair the damage. Aging essentially reduces the volume of the alarm and the stem cells have also put on ear plugs,' said study author Yu Xin Wang. The new research has found a way to reset the intensity of this cellular alarm clock. When scientists gave a stable form of PGE2 to aged mice after muscle injury and in conjunction with exercise, they found that the treated mice gained more muscle mass and were stronger compared to untreated ones. 'What amazes me most is that a single dose of treatment is sufficient to restore muscle stem cell function, and that the benefit lasts far beyond the duration of the drug,' Dr Wang said. 'In addition to making new muscle, the stem cells stay in the tissue, where they sustain the effect of the PGE2 and instil the muscle with further capacity to regenerate,' he said. The study found that PGE2 treatment can restore stem cell function and reverse many of the age-related changes in mice muscles. 'PGE2 has been implicated in the regenerative process and signalling for the intestine, liver, and several other tissues, potentially opening up an approach that could restore the renewing capacity of other aged tissues,' Dr Wang said. 'We have discovered that the PGE2 induces rejuvenation of aged muscle stem cells, which leads to functional improvements in muscle repair and strength,' scientists concluded.
Telegraph
02-06-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Four exercises that will give men a chest to be proud of
Whether it's running, cycling, swimming, rowing, or even fast-paced hiking, the goal is the same: move with purpose, elevate your heart rate, and burn serious energy. Ideally, include a mix of steady-state sessions and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) across the week to maximise fat burning and preserve muscle. But cardio alone won't solve the moob problem. Because beneath that layer of fat, your chest muscles are likely languishing from years of neglect. If you want to rebuild a chest worth showing off, or at least not hiding under baggy shirts, then resistance training must become a non-negotiable part of your life. You should be hitting the gym (or working out at home) with weights three to four times per week. And you must specifically target your chest at least twice weekly. Think heavy presses (barbell or dumbbell), bodyweight exercises like push-ups and dips, and accessory movements like cable flyes to fully engage the chest muscles. The strength training isn't just about aesthetics either. It's your best weapon against sarcopenia and metabolic slowdown. The more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate, and the easier it becomes to stay lean without feeling like you're on a starvation diet. The right diet Speaking of diet: it's time to apply some tough love there, too. No, you don't need to live on boiled chicken and steamed broccoli. But you do need to respect the basics of energy balance. Track your calories honestly for a week, and you might be shocked at how much you're really eating, especially from 'innocent' snacks, alcohol, and oversized portions. Focus on lean proteins, plenty of vegetables, controlled amounts of healthy fats, and moderate carbohydrates aligned with your activity levels. And if you think the odd pint or two won't matter? Think again. Alcohol is a stealthy saboteur of fat loss, adding empty calories and lowering your body's testosterone production even further. Save the drinks for occasional indulgences, not nightly rituals. I understand that no one likes being called out. It's easier to say, 'it's just middle age' and carry on. But carrying on leads to C and D cups when you should be focused on building a proud, strong, athletic chest. Middle age should be your time to double down on your health and fitness, not to quietly surrender it. Let's be very clear: if you're currently rocking more cleavage than your partner, it's not a laughing matter. It's a flashing warning sign. It's time to burn fat, rebuild muscle, and reclaim the aspirational man's chest – not the alternative. No more excuses. No more moobs. Do 3-5 sets of 8-15 reps to have the desired effect. 1. Push ups
