STRENGTH FOR LIFE
WHY HEALTHY MUSCLES ARE IMPORTANT FOR OUR HEALTH
WHY HEALTHY MUSCLES ARE IMPORTANT FOR OUR HEALTH
This page gives you more information about muscle and its important role for our health and advice on what to do if you spot the signs that you are losing muscle.
THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF MUSCLE FOR OUR HEALTHMuscles play an important role in the way our bodies function.3 Our muscles help us walk, move around, sit and stand, and make more subtle movements, such as facial expressions and moving our eyes.4 We also use muscles for chewing, swallowing and breathing.2
Our muscles also play an important role in storing protein and breaking it down into energy when our body needs it.
However, when we get ill or injured, our bodies might need more energy to recover,2 and we may not feel like eating as much as we usually do, which can mean we don’t get the protein, energy, vitamins and minerals our body needs.5,6 When this happens, our body may use the protein that is stored in our muscles to get the energy it needs to recover and this can lead to muscle loss.2
It is also common to lose muscle as we age.7
IN FACT...
As we get older, we become more at risk of malnutrition and/or our muscles getting weaker.
There are many reasons that this might happen, including:2,5,7
Getting sick more
often
Losing balance or
falling more often
Breaking
bones
Wounds taking
longer to heal
Getting more
infections
Keep our muscles healthy
Improve our strength
If you have noticed that you or someone you love is becoming weaker or more tired than usual, or is losing weight, then your healthcare professional (e.g. GP or nurse) may give you help to get the protein, energy, vitamins and minerals you need to stay well and keep your muscles strong.
It is really important to be on the lookout for any symptoms of malnutriton and muscle loss, as the sooner you see your healthcare professional, the more likely it will be that any problems can be treated.
SYMPTOMS TO LOOK OUT FOR INCLUDE:5,11
If you see any of these signs, contact your healthcare professional, who can check whether you are getting the nutrition you need to help you stay strong and healthy.
Your healthcare professional may offer you nutritional support to help treat any signs of muscle loss. They might give you tips for what to eat to get more of the key nutrients you need to stay strong.
In cases where weight loss or muscle loss is a little more severe, your healthcare professional may recommend oral nutritional supplements (ONS, sometimes called sip feeds) to take on top of what you would normally eat. These supplements can help provide the calories, protein and other important vitamins and minerals that your body needs, even if you do not feel well enough to eat or exercise.
References:
1. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, 2023. Healthy Muscles Matter. Available online: https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/kids/healthy-muscles Last accessed February 2023.
2. Argiles JM et al. JAMDA 2016;17:789-796.
3. McLeod M et al. Biogerontology 2016;17:497-510.
4. National Cancer Institute, 2024. Introduction to the Muscular System. Available online: https://training.seer.cancer.gov/anatomy/muscular/ Last accessed February 2024.
5. NHS, 2020. Malnutrition. Available online: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/malnutrition/. Last accessed February 2024.
6. Waltson JD. Curr Opin Rheumatol 2012;24(6): 623-627.
7. Flakoll P et al. Nutrition 2004;20:445-451.
8. Deutz NEP et al. JAMDA 2019;20(1)
9. Baum JI et al. Nutrients 2016;8:359.
10. Deutz NE et al. Clin Nutr 2021;40(3):1388-1395.
11. Malnutrition Pathway, 2021. Sarcopenia: loss of muscle mass. Available online: https://www.malnutritionpathway.co.uk/library/factsheet_sarcopenia.pdf.
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1 x 220 ml
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1,5 kcal / ml
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