Muscles after 40: why they weaken and how to keep them

It is harder to lift a bag, harder to get up from a low sofa, and climbing the stairs leaves you out of breath. Muscle quietly wastes away with age — and in the transition this speeds up. The good news: muscle responds at any age, and getting your strength back is realistic.

What is happening

Oestrogen helps muscles, and when there is less of it, muscle responds less well to both protein and exercise. Put simply, after 40 you need more of both to get the same result.

Why this matters beyond your figure:

• muscle is the main "consumer" of sugar, and the more of it you have, the easier it is for your metabolism;
• muscle is an "energy factory": with it, you feel less tired;
• weakness leads to falls, and falls to fractures.

What works

Strength training 2–3 times a week. This is the main thing. The basics are squats, pulls and presses, without pain. The load should be noticeable: the last repetitions take effort. With a trainer, results and safety are better.

Protein — more than you think. Aim for 30–40 g of protein at every meal, starting with breakfast: that is usually where there is least. That is, for example, a portion of cottage cheese or Greek yoghurt with eggs, a piece of fish or chicken, a plate of lentils with tofu. Over the day, aim for at least 1–1.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight, and more if you do strength training.

Movement every day. Walking, stairs, housework — in addition to strength training, not instead of it.

Balance. Balance exercises protect against falls.

What about supplements?

• Protein powder is convenient if you can't get enough protein from food. It is food, not medicine.
• Creatine is best studied together with strength training: a small but real gain in strength and muscle, including in postmenopausal women. Without training, the data are mixed. With kidney disease — only after talking to a doctor. Creatinine in blood tests rises slightly while taking it — this is not kidney damage.
• Collagen does not help muscles.

When to see a doctor

• Weakness is increasing quickly, without a clear reason.
• You have had a fall or a fracture from a minor injury.
• It is hard to get up from a chair without using your hands, when you used to manage.

What to try this week

• Two strength sessions of 30–40 minutes on different days.
• A source of protein at every meal — start with breakfast.
• At least once a day, take the stairs instead of the lift.

This is general information, not a prescription. Tests and treatment are chosen by a doctor.