Stay younger as you age-exercise regularly

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, America did a study on competitive runners, swimmers and cyclists aged between 40 and 81 to see if exercise can preserve lean muscle mass. All the subjects featured were fit, training 4 to 5 times per week and competing regularly. Researchers measured their muscle mass, leg strength and body composition, determining how much muscle tissue was composed of fat. Past studies have shown that as we age not only do we lose muscle mass but the muscle that remains contains fat which degrades the quality and reduces strength. However there was little evidence of this with the subjects involved with this study. Those at the higher end of the age group, the 70s and 80s had almost the same thigh muscle mass as those in their 40s with minor if any fat increase! They also remained strong. There was however a drop off in leg strength around age 60 in both men and women subjects. They weren't as strong as those in the 50s age group but the difference wasn't great and further decline was minimum. The 70 and 80 year olds were about as strong as the 60 age group. Dr Vonda Wright, an orthopedic surgeon who oversaw the study said, "These results suggest strongly that people don't lose muscle mass and function as they grow older. The changes that we've assumed were due to aging and therefore were unstoppable seem actually to be caused by inactivity and that can be changed."