3 Tips To Make Your Muscles Act Younger, From A Functional Medicine Doctor

According to functional medicine doctor Gabrielle Lyon, D.O., muscle mass is the ticket to living a longer life. "Muscle is the organ of longevity, and it really dictates everything about health and wellness," she declares on this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast.

Your muscles are so integral to long-term health, in fact, that Lyon even started a "muscle-centric medicine" practice with a focus on benefiting your muscle health through a protein-smart diet, plus exercise and lifestyle shifts. 

"If you haven't trained with any focus by the time you're 30, you need to be," says Lyon. Everyone's body is different, but if you can, she recommends a combination of cardiovascular activity (specifically zone 2 training) and resistance training.

Zone 2 training really just refers to any cardio workout that gets your heart pumping to the point where you can still hold a conversation, but it might be difficult to do so. "That zone 2 training is critical for mitochondria," notes Lyon. "It's important for glucose utilization for the foods that you're eating, and overall it provides a base." 

However, it's not enough: "In your 30s, I really believe everybody should be doing three to four days a week of hypertrophy training," she adds. Hypertrophy training is all about increasing muscle mass, namely through weight training.

Partial to a post-workout protein shake? Well, according to Lyon, only a select set actually needs to refuel immediately after exercise. "If you are younger, the post-training window for protein doesn't really matter," she explains, assuming you're able to meet your general protein goals for the day.

However, "As you get older, the blood flow to the muscles increases post-training, and there's really good data1 to suggest that older muscle can respond like younger muscle post-training2 with the addition of dietary protein." 

That said, "I would say 30 grams of protein post-training is a great strategy for nearly everybody," she adds.

"The biggest danger I see as people transition from 40 to 50 is that there comes a time where they stop pushing [themselves]," Lyon says. It's so easy to simply go through the motions with exercise, but you don't want your muscles to ever get too comfortable.

You want to keep challenging yourself with your workouts, especially as you get older. "You cannot show up in your 60s and 70s and just go through the motions," Lyon adds. "You have to really be cognizant of actually putting in effort and progressing."