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Why Muscle Loss (Not Age) Is The Driver Of A Sluggish Metabolism
Many of us hold the belief that once we hit a certain age (in our 20s or 30s) our metabolism hits a wall. There are the before times of being able to eat whatever you want and not gain a pound, and the after times—when weight, blood sugar control, and hunger become harder to manage.
While this certainly happens, it's not solely dependent on age. In fact, a landmark study published in 2021 found that metabolism—how efficiently your body converts food into energy and then uses that energy—stays consistent from ages 20 to 601.
Even after 60, there's just a gradual decline in metabolism by about 0.7% a year.
So, what's the actual reason for this metabolic shift? Muscle loss.
The connection between muscle and metabolism
Muscle tissue is more metabolically active than fat tissue—meaning the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day (even at rest). This is known as the basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your BMR accounts for 60-70% of your total amount of energy burned in a day (!!).
So, losing muscle puts you at risk of:
- Lowering your metabolic rate: This means your body requires few calories to carry out its daily function, making weight management harder.
- Increases fat storage: Since muscle burns calories, less muscle means your body has fewer places to send excess energy. So, instead of using that energy, the body stores it as fat.
- Poor blood sugar control: Muscle tissues help absorb (and use) glucose from the bloodstream. Having more muscle is linked to better long-term blood sugar control, whereas low muscle mass is linked to higher blood sugar levels.
And unlike metabolism, which stays consistent with age, muscle mass does not.
Why you lose muscle with age
You start losing muscle in your 30s—as much as 8% each following decade. Here's why.
Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) rates decline
Muscle tissue is in a constant state of turnover—new tissue is generated via MPS and is broken down. But age slows the rate of MPS2. The two main triggers of MPS are protein intake and strength training.
As you get older, you need more protein to maintain the muscle mass you already have (and even more to build muscle) and more stimulus in strength training to support MPS. Otherwise, if you keep with your current routine, you will lose muscle.
Hormone changes
The hormonal shifts of perimenopause also influence muscle mass. Declining estrogen levels favor muscle breakdown (over-synthesis) and fat storage—especially in the abdomen.
Stress & sleep
Stress can certainly increase with age, especially during perimenopause. Chronic stress causes the hormone cortisol to be chronically elevated—and this hormone also promotes muscle breakdown3 and fat storage over time.
Not to mention, stress as well as perimenopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats also disrupt sleep—further hurting hormone health, muscle breakdown, and metabolism.
How to build muscle after 30
There are three key areas to focus on to build muscle after 30:
Strength training regularly
Strength training (lifting, pulling, or pushing heavy weights) is crucial for building muscle and supporting your long-term metabolic health.
The goal should be to complete two to three strength training sessions a week4 that target all major muscle groups. As you adapt to weight training and start getting stronger, it's important to progressively increase the weight you're working with—otherwise, your results will start to plateau.
Not sure where to start? Try this 4-week at-home strength training program.
Start a creatine supplement
Adding a creatine supplement to your routine is the easiest way to get the most out of each strength training session.
Creatine is the most researched supplement available. It helps everyone—no matter your age or current fitness level—build muscle and strength.*
Women have been loving mindbodygreen's creatine with taurine+ to get stronger, look toned, and help improve their body composition.*
Each serving provides an optimal 5-gram dose of creatine monohydrate and 2 grams of the amino acid taurine, which is also great for muscle health.*
Bump up your protein
Women need a minimum of 100 grams of protein daily. And many women need even more (about 0.72–1 gram of protein per pound of body weight a day). This is the range needed to promote optimal muscle protein synthesis and growth.*
But don't fret! Getting this amount of protein is easier than you think. Here's a zero-stress guide to bumping up your daily intake and a three-day sample meal plan. And if you're looking for a protein powder, we recommend this one.
The takeaway
If you want to improve your metabolism as you get older, you have to preserve and build muscle.
A solid strength training routine, a high-quality creatine supplement, and sufficient protein intake are three science-backed ways to build muscle and support your metabolism at any age.*
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