• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • [Français]
  • Sign Up and Stay in Touch!
Canadian Food Focus

Canadian Food Focus

#loveCDNfood

  • About
  • Podcast
  • Courses
  • Contributors
  • Ask Us
  • In Your Kitchen
  • Recipes
  • Health
  • Canadian Food Stories
  • On The Farm
  • What’s in Season
  • Learn to Cook

Stay Strong For Life

By Carol Harrison, RD

How Exercise And Diet Help Prevent Muscle Loss

For a good part of our adult lives, we don’t need to think about our muscles. That makes sense—in our 20s and 30s, using them feels effortless. But, as early as our 30s and 40s, our muscle mass starts to decrease. This happens gradually, so slowly that we don’t notice it. Eventually, though, we do notice, when everyday tasks like lifting grocery bags and moving furniture take more exertion than they used to. Maybe we even grunt or groan as we move, and then we wonder, When did I start doing that?

There’s a name for what’s happening: sarcopenia. That’s the term for age-related muscle loss and loss of skeletal muscle function, including strength.1 And it happens earlier and faster than you might think: after age 30, healthy adults lose 3% to 8% of muscle mass per decade, and the decline is even greater after age 60.2

What causes age-related muscle loss?

We don’t know for sure what causes sarcopenia, but factors may include a sedentary lifestyle, nutritional deficiencies, lower hormone levels and the body producing fewer proteins.3 Obesity, chronic diseases and insulin resistance are possible risk factors for sarcopenia.4

We’re all accustomed to seeing older adults who aren’t as strong and fit as they were in middle age or early adulthood, so muscle loss may seem like a natural part of aging. But, if left unchecked, sarcopenia can have a serious impact on our health and quality of life. As our muscles atrophy (degenerate) over time, the symptoms can include5:

  • Muscle weakness
  • Reduced stamina
  • Difficulty doing daily activities
  • Walking slowly
  • Poor balance
  • Falls
  • Difficulty climbing stairs

Because sarcopenia increases our likelihood of falling and getting injured, it’s one of the biggest contributors to disability in older adults.6

How can we prevent sarcopenia?

We can’t entirely halt sarcopenia, but there are many things we can do to slow it down. Not surprisingly, strength training is one of them. Adults who don’t do regular strength training can lose four to six pounds of muscle per decade, according to Harvard Medical School.7

According to the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines from the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, adults should do muscle-strengthening activities using major muscle groups at least twice a week.

weight-training

In Canada, we’re fortunate to have access to high quality protein-rich foods—grown right here at home—that make delicious meals, like the ones featured below. Each meal has at least 25 grams of protein.

The other key to mitigating sarcopenia? Eating a protein-rich diet. You might be surprised to hear that most Canadians do not consume too much protein. An adult’s acceptable range of protein intake is 10% to 35% of total daily calories a day, according to the Institute of Medicine.8 The most recent Government of Canada nutrition survey found that adults are at the lower end of this range, at 17% of calories from protein.9 In fact, experts say that Canadians would benefit from increasing protein intake (to 25-30 grams of protein per meal). 10

  • Breakfast: ¾ cup cooked oatmeal (5 g) + 1 hard-cooked egg (6 g) + smoothie with ¼ cup silken tofu (3 g) + ½ cup blueberries (1 g) and 1 cup milk (9 g) + 1 tbsp almond butter (3 g)
  • Lunch: 100 g grilled beef strips (35 g) + 1 cup stir-fry veggies (3 g) + ½ cup cooked barley (2 g)
  • Dinner: 100 g baked trout (27 g) + 1 cup roasted mixed veggies (3 g) + ½ cup cooked quinoa (4 g) + ¼ cup cooked lentils (4 g)

These meal examples show how easy it can be to get enough protein from food alone, without supplements. Counting grams of protein all the time is not very practical. An easy way to ensure you get enough protein is to have a mix of plant and animal sourced protein foods at most meals.

Check put these protein packed ideas for breakfast, lunch and supper:

huevos-rancheros-omelette

Huevos Rancheros Omelette

This omelette style of ranchers eggs is packed full of protein and fibre for a healthy breakfast or meal any time of the day!

mexican-baked-eggs-and-black-beans

Mexican Baked Eggs On Black Beans

This Mexican Baked Eggs on Black Beans dish can be prepared in one large casserole or in 6 individual ramekins.

beef-lentil-salad

Beef Steak & Lentil Salad

A nutritious meal the whole family would enjoy!

bulgur-chicken-burger

Bulgur Chicken Burgers With Yogurt Sauce

These delicious burgers are made with bulgur, keeping them juicy and healthy.

crunch-turkey-lentil-lettuce-wraps

Crunchy Turkey Lentil Lettuce Wraps

Ready for a delicious twist on your usual meals? These Crunchy Turkey Lentil Lettuce Wraps are perfect for lunch or dinner! Packed with flavour and easy to make, these wraps will become your new go-to dish.

ginger-beef-and-mushroom-bowl

Ginger Beef & Mushroom Bowl

The classic flavours of ginger and beef make this veggie-rich dish an excellent way to get in your veggies and protein for the day.

sheet-pan-pork-tenderloin-with-sweet-potatoes-and-asparagus

Sheet Pan Pork Tenderloin With Sweet Potatoes And Asparagus

There’s a reason home cooks love sheet pan dinners. They are a terrific (and tasty!) solution to weeknight cooking, and with minimal fuss and cleanup.

References

  1. Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Bahat G, Bauer J et al. Sarcopenia: revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis. Age Ageing. 2019 Jan 1;48(1):16–31. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afy169. Erratum in: Age Ageing. 2019 Jul 1;48(4):601. PMID: 30312372; PMCID: PMC6322506. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6322506/ ↩︎
  2. Volpi E, Nazemi R, Fujita S. Muscle tissue changes with aging. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2004 Jul;7(4):405–10. doi: 10.1097/01.mco.0000134362.76653.b2. PMID: 15192443; PMCID: PMC2804956. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804956/ ↩︎
  3. Sayer AA, Cruz-Jentoft A. Sarcopenia definition, diagnosis and treatment: consensus is growing. Age Ageing. 2022 Oct 6;51(10):afac220. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afac220. PMID: 36273495; PMCID: PMC9588427. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9588427/ ↩︎
  4. Cleveland Clinic. Sarcopenia. 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23167-sarcopenia ↩︎
  5. Cleveland Clinic. Sarcopenia. 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23167-sarcopenia ↩︎
  6. Volpi E, Nazemi R, Fujita S. Muscle tissue changes with aging. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2004 Jul;7(4):405–10. doi: 10.1097/01.mco.0000134362.76653.b2. PMID: 15192443; PMCID: PMC2804956. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2804956/ ↩︎
  7. “Age and Muscle Loss.” Harvard Health Publishing. February 14, 2023. https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/age-and-muscle-loss. ↩︎
  8. Institute of Medicine. 2005. Dietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, and amino acids. National Academy Press. ↩︎
  9. 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey – Nutrition: Nutrient intakes from food and nutritional supplements. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/170620/dq170620b-eng.htm. ↩︎
  10. Phillips, S.M., Chevalier, S., and Leidy, H.J. 2016. Protein “requirements” beyond the RDA: implications for optimizing health. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 41(5): 565–72. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26960445/ ↩︎

Carol Harrison

Carol is mom to three awesome kids. She’s a Toronto-based food and nutrition communications consultant and says she pretty much spends all day reading, writing, cooking or eating food—this is probably why her dog is always by her side! Carol is excited to share insights from her 20-year journey combining her interests in agriculture, food and nutrition.

Contributor PostsCarol Harrison

Sign Up and Stay in Touch

You can unsubscribe at any time by emailing info@canadianfoodfocus.org, or by using the UNSUBSCRIBE link provided in every email.
For more information, see our privacy policy here.

Canadian Food Focus
  • In Your Kitchen
  • Recipes
  • Health
  • Canadian Food Stories
  • On The Farm
  • What’s in Season
  • Learn to Cook
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Courses
  • Ask Us
  • Contributors
  • Partners
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy & Legal
  • [ Français ]
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership
Government of Canada

Copyright © 2025 · Canadian Food Focus Inc. · All Rights Reserved ·

Scroll Up
Sign up for our Newsletter!

 

You can unsubscribe at any time by emailing info@canadianfoodfocus.org, or by using the UNSUBSCRIBE link provided in every email. For more information, see our privacy policy here.