Sarcopenia can start in your 40s: What is it and how can food and exercise help?

We need to start looking at muscle strength from our 40s to prevent sarcopenia — a reduction in muscle mass and strength. Registered dietitian, Noreen Roche, has tips to enable us to live better as we get older

Eat and exercise well to prevent sarcopenia: tinned tuna is one of the richest sources of protein and leucine which are important for the formation of lean, healthy muscle tissue

“Sarcopenia — it’s a complicated name for something that we already know about,” says registered dietician Noreen Roche.

While it is normal to lose some muscle mass due to ageing, sarcopenia is characterised by a severe decline in muscle mass and mass, having a major impact on quality of life. Before you decide that this doesn't apply to you, it’s important to realise that these physical changes can start as early as the age of 40. Ageing is, after all, a lifelong process.