Seven proven ways to maintain muscles and minimize the effects of time.
Nothing in your body works without muscles. Smooth muscles in organ walls regulate breathing, digestion, elimination, even eyesight and vision. Cardiac muscles work day and night to keep the heart beating and blood flowing. And lean, strong skeletal muscles keep your movements agile, support joints, promote balance and energy (and make you look great in a swimsuit.) But as we age, muscle mass naturally begins to decline—and that’s important: studies show preserving lean muscle significantly enhances quality of life during aging.
While muscle changes are inevitable, loss of mass and strength are not. You can repair, maintain and rebuild, with diet, exercise and science-backed supplements, like Elio™ Restore—a plant-based peptide supplement proven to protect muscles and minimize the effects of time.
How Muscle Changes as We Age
Even if you follow a near-perfect diet and workout routine, your muscles naturally begin to change over time. As we age, the body becomes less responsive to cellular signals to build muscles, leading to lost mass and diminished strength and function. Starting around the age of 30, muscle volume declines by around 3 to 8 percent every decade. Muscles begin to be replaced by fat cells, and fitness, tone and performance decrease. After the age of 60, that rate of decline increases significantly—with serious ramifications.
Loss of muscle strength and function impact more than your ability to run, bike, lift weights (or look great in a swimsuit). Strong muscles support bone health, stabilize joints, protect against sprains and injuries during exercise, improve balance and reduce the risk of falls and fractures. Lean, fit muscles also influence body weight and fat gain, and research links low muscle mass with a significantly higher rate of obesity, diabetes and other metabolic illnesses. Maintaining mass boosts the body’s calorie-burning potential—important as we age, when natural declines in metabolic rate promote the storage of fat, especially dangerous visceral fat. And muscle loss is linked with diminished cognitive function: some studies show age-related decreases in muscle volume can double the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.
While age-related changes to muscle tissue are unavoidable, weakness and impaired function are not: the right diet and lifestyle, combined with proven supplements like Elio™ Restore, can protect against muscle loss, repair and maintain healthy muscle tissue, and even rebuild lost mass. Seven science-backed solutions:
- Amp up protein. The right balance of nutrients is essential for combatting muscle aging, and protein is key: the body breaks down dietary protein into amino acids, the building blocks required by the body to build muscle tissue. It’s even more vital during strength training and as we age—especially for men, when a condition called “anabolic resistance” hampers the body’s ability to synthesize protein into skeletal muscle. Shoot for a daily intake of one gram of protein per pound of body weight, and focus on clean protein, especially plant-based sources like beans, lentils, nuts and seeds.
- Make carbs count. Carbohydrates are the body’s primary source of fuel, powering workouts and daily activities, sparing protein as a source of energy and preventing muscle weakness and degradation. Make your carbs count: complex, nutrient-dense sources (like vegetables, fruits and whole grains) supply sustained energy, so you can work out better, longer. And fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E and phytochemicals that shield muscle tissue from oxidative damage; some research suggests they can also lessen soreness and speed recovery after working out.
- Streamline eating. Also important: how much, and when, you eat—caloric restriction and intermittent fasting support muscle health and promote robust aging. Both work by turning on AMPK, a metabolism-regulating enzyme that boosts levels of NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), vital for cellular energy production and other biological processes. NAD+ also activates the expression of sirtuins, a family of proteins involved in metabolic regulation and cellular health. In research, caloric restriction has been shown to protect muscle cells from damage, improving mass and enhancing function. Intermittent fasting also triggers autophagy—a process in which the body clears out damaged cells and regenerates newer, healthier cells. And Elio™ Restore works in much the same way as caloric restriction and intermittent fasting, improving cellular metabolism, activating AMPK, increasing NAD+ and promoting autophagy in skeletal muscle cells.
- Train for strength. Research shows the right kind of workouts protect against age-related muscle declines, and even restore lost muscle tissue. Strength (resistance) training is crucial for maintaining mass. Using free weights, weight machines, medicine balls or other forms of resistance creates tiny tears in muscle fibers; the body repairs this damage by fusing fibers, increasing muscle size and offsetting age-related losses in volume. To maximize muscle health, shoot for two to three days week, with rest and recovery days in between. And add Elio™ Restore to your rest-and-rejuvenate regimen; it’s shown to aid in muscle development and recovery.
- Add power. In addition to strength, you need power: fast, explosive movements recruit more muscle fibers, stimulate lean mass and enhance how quickly and efficiently you move—critical for daily activities and overall physical function, especially as we age. Add power to weight-lifting routines by shortening repetitions and amping up speed and explosiveness against resistance. Even simple workouts that use the body’s own weight—like standing up quickly from a seated position, or pushing off steps when you’re climbing stairs—promote muscle power.
- How you live. Besides diet and exercise, your daily habits and routines dictate how well your muscles age. A high-stress lifestyle spurs inflammation, slows repair, speeds muscle loss and impacts restful slumber—a key factor in muscle health. During deep sleep, the body releases hormones that stimulate growth and repair, and research shows sleep deprivation significantly reduces muscle protein synthesis. Your muscles also need plenty of clean, filtered water; adequate fluid intake enhances protein synthesis, boosts energy and performance, and promotes muscle strength and function.
- Protect with plant-based peptides. No matter how ideal your diet and workout routine, your muscles may need an extra layer of protection, especially as you age. The specific plant-based peptides used in Elio™ Restore are the only peptides proven to promote muscle growth, encourage fat loss and protect muscles from the effects of time. Like protein-rich foods, peptides are made up of amino acids. Unlike protein, peptides are short chains with far fewer amino acids, so they’re easily absorbed by the body, allowing them to readily enter the bloodstream and impact a variety of physiological processes, including muscle health.
But not all peptide supplements are the same; most are derived from cows, pigs, fish or other (not sustainable) animal sources, so they may contain hormones, heavy metals and other chemicals, and they’re definitely not appropriate for vegans. Many contain GMOs, allergens, fillers, bulking agents, preservatives and other additives—not what you need in your healthy-aging regimen.
A cleaner option: Elio™ Restore is a patented, plant-based peptide supplement free from GMOs, bulkers, fillers or any other additives. Made without animal products, dairy, wheat, gluten or other allergens, Elio™ Restore contains only one ingredient—100 percent bioactive plant peptides derived from fava beans. These unique plant peptides work by impacting multiple pathways associated with aging, improving the way proteins in the cells are made, inhibiting protein breakdown, protecting muscle fibers, boosting muscle regeneration and lowering cellular inflammation.
Most important: it’s scientifically proven to work. As reported in independent peer-reviewed publications, Elio™ Restore helps rebuild healthy muscle cells, minimize muscle loss, lower inflammation and significantly lessen fat accumulation—a common process in aging. In studies, taking Elio™ Restore lead to an 80 percent increase in new muscle protein synthesis, a 54.3 percent reduction in muscle loss, and a 60 percent reduction in cellular inflammation.
Plus, Elio™ Restore combats declines in metabolic rate, diminished energy levels, cellular damage and other aspects of aging. Like caloric restriction, intermittent fasting and exercise, Elio™ Restore promotes autophagy, and it’s proven to increase NAD+ levels, activate AMPK and enhance sirtuin activity, all linked with improved quality of life during aging. And Elio™ Restore protects facial muscles, supporting volume, strength and elasticity, and minimizing visible signs of aging—so you can look and feel younger and stronger, both inside and outside.
