Maintaining muscle health is crucial for overall well-being and longevity. Strong muscles support daily activities, enhance metabolic functions, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. At NuMi, we emphasise the importance of muscle strength assessments, such as the Grip Strength Test, to provide valuable insights into your health.

The Role of Muscle Health in Longevity

As we age, muscle mass and strength naturally decline—a process known as sarcopenia. This reduction can lead to decreased mobility, increased frailty, and a higher risk of falls and fractures. Maintaining muscle strength is essential for:

• Functional Independence: Strong muscles enable us to perform daily tasks with ease, preserving independence as we age.
• Metabolic Health: Muscle tissue plays a significant role in glucose metabolism, aiding in blood sugar regulation and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Bone Density: Muscle strength contributes to bone health, decreasing the likelihood of osteoporosis and related complications.

Grip Strength: A Key Indicator of Health

Grip strength is a simple yet powerful measure of overall muscle health. Research indicates that lower grip strength is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and all-cause mortality. Regular assessment can help identify individuals at risk and monitor the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving muscle strength.

Role of DEXA Body Scans in Assessing Muscle Health

DEXA (Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry) body scans are a gold-standard tool for evaluating body composition, providing precise measurements of fat, muscle, and bone density. Unlike traditional methods such as BMI, which fail to distinguish between fat and muscle mass, DEXA scans offer a detailed breakdown of lean tissue and fat distribution. This level of insight is particularly valuable for monitoring muscle loss/gain, and tailoring strength-training programmes to individual needs. Additionally, DEXA scans assess bone mineral density, providing an indication of osteoporosis risk. 

By combining DEXA results with functional tests like grip strength, NuMi’s health assessments deliver a comprehensive view of musculoskeletal health, empowering clients to take proactive steps toward maintaining strength and mobility throughout life.

Maintaining Muscle Health at Every Age

It's never too early or too late to focus on muscle health. Here are some strategies to maintain and enhance muscle strength:

• Regular Resistance Training: Incorporate exercises such as weightlifting, resistance band workouts, or bodyweight exercises like push-ups and squats to build and maintain muscle mass.
• Balanced Nutrition: Ensure adequate protein intake to support muscle repair and growth. Nutrients like vitamin D and calcium are also vital for muscle function and bone health.
• Active Lifestyle: Engage in regular physical activities, including walking, cycling, or swimming, to keep muscles active and functional.

NuMi's Commitment to Your Muscle Health

At NuMi, we offer comprehensive health assessments, including the Grip Strength Test and DEXA Body Scans, to help evaluate your muscle health. Our personalised health checks provide insights into your body's composition and function, empowering you to make informed decisions about your health.

Prioritising muscle health is a lifelong commitment that pays dividends in quality of life and longevity. By focusing on strength training, proper nutrition, and regular health assessments, you can maintain muscle function and enjoy a healthier, more active life at any age.

Sarah’s take:

I think that the benefit of muscle on our body has not been widely understood until now, as it’s previously just been seen as the domain of body-builders.  But it’s now that the role of muscle and metabolic health, especially weight management in peri- and post-menopausal women is becoming so clear.  I’m regularly working with women who are struggling with the weight on the scale gradually creeping up over time, and them feeling like nothing is working.  When we take them through a Health Check and they get the results of their DEXA scan, they can clearly see how much body fat is on their body, but most importantly, where that body fat is and how much of a serious disease risk it might be leading to.  When we use this information together with the insight about the amount of lean muscle on their body, it provides me with really clear information about how the client can work to increase their muscle mass and decrease any harmful distribution of fat.  The advice is then tailored around their dietary intake as I can provide very specific advice to address these 2 areas, as well as information about the best form of exercise for them to do, while also looking at their sleep routines and stress levels.  It’s amazing how I see my client’s mindset really shift when they have this information - their preoccupation about the scale weight suddenly disappears as that means nothing when we’re talking about metabolic health and body composition - they suddenly start to feel so empowered at long last!  

Sources

1. Leong, D.P., et al. - Prognostic Value of Grip Strength (The Lancet, 2015) https://scholars.aku.edu/en/publications/prognostic-value-of-grip-strength-findings-from-the-prospective-u
2. Bohannon, R.W. - Grip Strength: An Indispensable Biomarker for Older Adults (Clinical Interventions in Aging, 2019) https://www.dovepress.com/grip-strength-an-indispensable-biomarker-for-older-adults-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-CIA
3. Cruz-Jentoft, A.J., et al. - Sarcopenia: European Consensus on Definition and Diagnosis (Age and Ageing, 2010) https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/39/4/412/8732
4. Dodds, R.M., et al. - Grip Strength Across the Life Course: Normative Data (PLoS One, 2014) https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0113637
5. Landi, F., et al. - Sarcopenia as a Risk Factor for Mortality (Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 2013) https://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610(21)00389-3/fulltext
6. Mühlberg, W. & Sieber, C.C. - Sarcopenia and Frailty in Geriatrics (Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 2004) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00391-004-0203-8