Did you know that muscle mass declines after age 30 by 3-5% and increases as we get older?
Researchers believes this is due to:
Reduction in nerve cells responsible for sending signals from the brain to the muscles to start movement
Lower concentrations of some hormones, including growth hormone, testosterone, and insulin-like growth factor
A decrease in the ability to turn protein into energy
Not getting enough calories or protein each day to sustain muscle mass
What can we do to combat this?
Strength training - muscle mass decline is more apparent in inactive women and by continuing to perform strength & resistance based training we can continue to build muscle. Also getting the right amount of protein in your diet will help muscles grow. The amount of protein needed per person varies but in simple terms a palm sized portion at every meal and 1-2 protein rich snacks a day!
Do you want to know how much protein you should be eating per day? I can work this out for you, all you have to do is join my mailing list here.
I also have lots of recipe cards with the macros worked out so you can see how much protein is in each meal and get a better understanding of your daily intake. If you want 5 protein rich meal plans then they are yours, I’ll send them along with your macros 😊.
Nutrition can really benefit women’s health and I try and encourage women to see food as fuel and pleasure and check in with yourself on how food makes you feel. Food with lots of nutrients will make you feel a lot more energised and can support the energy requirement throughout movement, pregnancy, breastfeeding and recovery after pregnancy and birth, and the hormonal changes through the menstrual cycle and menopause. But also cutting out certain food groups or high sugar food that you get pleasure from eating will not make you feel good. It’s all about balance. Making sure you are taking on enough calories for energy required, avoid too much of the ultra processed and high sugar foods but not cutting them out entirely if you get enjoyment from eating them.
If you want any advice on nutrition then just hola!
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