Any gym enthusiast knows that maintaining a strong routine and eating healthy is the best route to the best gains and an amazing physique. However, maintaining hose gains becomes more difficult, especially for those that are above 50 years old. However, there is one way that you could retain those gains, and it is scientifically proven.
A recent study conducted by the University of East Anglia suggests that vitamin C plays a major role in maintaining muscles even for those above 50. The researchers found that older individuals who consume large amounts of vitamin C have healthier muscle mass. It is thus a good strategy to counteract the natural loss of mass that comes with old age.
“As people age, they lose skeletal muscle mass and strength. People over 50 lose up to one percent of their skeletal muscle mass each year, and this loss is thought to affect more than 50 million people worldwide,” stated Ailsa Welch, a professor at the Norwich Medical School.
The need to retain mass is not just for the gym but for the general population
As noted earlier, people in old age, especially above 50, go through significant muscle mass loss, which happens naturally. Consuming a lot of vitamin C can thus be quite beneficial to individuals over 50-years-old. Having adequate mass is healthy for the bones and the muscles and helps to maintain that youthful look.
Vitamin C is also vital because it protects the body tissue and cells from potentially harmful substances. The findings from the study conducted by the Norwich Medical School researchers evaluated numerous Norfolk residents. The study results indicated that those who had the highest vitamin C levels in their diets had more skeletal muscle mass than those with diets with low amounts of vitamin C. It might thus be a useful weapon for older folks to avoid muscle mass loss.
The researchers also noted that it does not take much to maintain a diet rich in vitamin C. You can consume one citrus fruit every day and a serving of vegetables to achieve this.
