So what’s the key to living longer: Losing weight or working out?
As it turns out, new research published in the American Journal of Medicine says what matters most is how much muscle mass you have.
The research was co-written by scientists Preethi Srikanthan, M.D., M.S. and Arun S. Karlamangla, M.D., Ph.D., who both serve as researchers for the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
“Obesity (as defined by body mass index) has not been associated consistently with higher mortality in older adults,” say the authors. “However, total body mass includes fat and muscle, which have different metabolic effects.”
What Researchers Discovered About Muscle Mass
Drawing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, which examined the health and nutritional status of adult and adolescent Americans, researchers analyzed data from over 3659 adults collected in the year 2004, specifically focusing on adults over 55 years old. Those who were underweight or died during the first two years after the conclusion of the study were excluded–something which they did to eliminate those who was “frail.”
From there, they had participants undergo bioelectrical impedance to determine how much muscle mass they had. The amount of central obesity they had, along with total body mass, were also examined.
After tallying the results, they found a strong correlation: Those who had the most muscle mass lived significantly longer.
“This study was designed to test the hypothesis that greater muscle mass in older adults is associated with lower all-cause mortality,” say researchers. “In adjusted analyses, total mortality was significantly lower in the fourth quartile of muscle mass index compared with the first quartile: adjusted risk ratio 0.81 (95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.91) and adjusted hazard ratio 0.80 (95% confidence interval, 0.66-0.97).”
In conclusion, they say that muscle mass may be the best way to predict how long a person lives–not their body mass index (BMI). And while this study doesn’t show a cause-and-effect result, they still say this offers enough reason to get moving and start building muscle.
“Get up and start moving,” says study author Preethi Srikanthan. “Focus on trying to maintain the maximum amount of resistance training that you can, and stop worrying so much about dropping calories.”
What You Should Do
If you want to live longer, forget restricting calories. The easiest way to live a longer, healthier life is to simply have more muscle mass–something you achieve by simply lifting heavier weights and staying active daily. Eating a high-protein diet also supports muscle mass by preventing muscle from wasting away, something that is often problematic in people as they age.
Readers: How do you use exercise or your diet to build more muscle mass? Or do you try to avoid building muscle mass?
Sources:
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III – Information About the Study – CDC.gov
Study: Muscle Mass, Not BMI, Best Predictor of How Long People Will Live – AMJMED.com
Muscle Mass Beats BMI As Longevity Predictor – ScientificAmerican.com
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