The Aging Muscular System

At AIM, our primary mission is to use exercise to help improve the health and longevity of our clients. This means understanding and implementing strategies to combat the natural aging process of our muscles. 

POP QUIZ
What is the cause of age-related muscle weakness?

A. Our muscles cannot contract as strongly as when we were younger.
B. Our brain can no longer coordinate all the muscles at the same time to perform a task. 

A recent study measured the strength of each finger in older adults then asked them to perform the hand grip strength test (all 5 fingers at once). The researchers found that when older adults gripped the dynamometer with all 5 fingers as hard as they could, that amount fell far short from the sum of all 5 fingers tested individually. How could that be?? 

We are beginning to understand that as we get older, weakness may not arise from the muscles themselves, but from a decline in our brain and nervous systems ability to coordinate multiple muscles at once. So, if you answered B, you are correct! It takes roughly 39 muscles spanning from your forearm to fingers to coordinate grip strength! 

The trainers at AIM recognize this concept and put into effect strategies to address this when working with clients. Yes, we still work on making each individual muscle as strong as possible, but we also incorporate exercises to train the nervous system as well. With the right combination, we can help keep your muscles and brain as young as possible!