Aging For Men: How Your Body Changes

Written by: Dr. Jeffrey Barke

Did you know that after age 25-30 the average man’s maximum heart rate declines by one beat per minute, per year and that your aerobic capacity to pump blood drops by 5%-10% every 10 years? A healthy 25 year old heart can pump 2 ½ quarts of oxygen a minute, but a typical 65 year old heart can’t get above 1 ½ quarts. At 80 the average male is down to less than a quart. This diminished aerobic capacity is exactly what makes us fatigued and breathless as seniors.

Most men begin to gain weight in midlife, usually 3-4 pounds a year without significant lifestyle change. Since men start to lose muscle in their early 40s, that extra weight is all fat. This extra fat contributes to a rise in your LDL (bad cholesterol), a fall in your HDL (good cholesterol) and increases in silent inflammation within the body. It also explains why blood sugar levels rise by about 6 points per decade, making type 2 diabetes increasingly common as we become senior citizens.

Eventually, a typical man can lose up to 50% of their muscle mass which will significantly contribute to weakness and disability in your later years. One reason for this drop is the drop in the male hormone testosterone, which declines about 1% per year after the age of 40. Most men will continue to have normal testosterone levels and reproductive capacity throughout life, but many will also experience a gradual decline in libido and sexual vigor.

Yes, it all sounds grim, and these changes happen to healthy men, but you can slow the pace of or stop many of these changes. As many of my patients know, my favorite quote is:

“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness”  by Earl Edward Stanley (1799 – 1869)

Exercise is not the fountain of youth, but is one of the biggest steps you can take to slowing or even reversing every one of the physical issues described above. The other critical step is proper nutrition. Wondering what it takes to make this happen? Keep reading.

Yes, it’s true, even just 30 minutes a day of brisk walking will go a long way toward enhancing your health. Furthermore, men at 50 respond to exercise training just about as well as a 20 year old. Men will benefit from exercise at any age, just make sure you talk to your doctor first if you haven’t been active for some time.

Thinking about doing a little more? Wondering what the best exercise is to ward off all of these looming realities? If you are ready to commit to a lifelong fitness program that will positively change your physical health in your later years, you will need to design a program that includes the following to be most effective:

• Endurance training – this is the best way to improve cardiovascular function. This keeps your heart muscle strong and supple, your arteries flexible, and boosts the heart’s ability to deliver oxygen rich blood to the body’s tissues. Your cholesterol and blood pressure will lower as well. Endurance training is any activity that gets your heart rate up, and keeps it up for sustained or interval periods. Biking, running, swimming, fitness classes, commit to getting that heart pumping!
• Resistance training – Otherwise known as weight training. Weights or exercise machines will enhance muscle mass and strength and preserve bone calcium. You will need to learn what to do and instructors can help. There are many options here, including home programs with easy to use equipment.
• Flexibility training – This will keep you mobile as you age. Stretching is an ideal way to warm up and cool down after endurance exercise. 20 minutes of dedicated stretching two or three times a week is ideal. Make sure to include in this poses that work on balance as well, utilizing balance balls, Bosu devices, and Yoga can be great tools for this as well.

Using your body will keep it young. Following a life-long program of exercise will make a difference in how you age. Reflecting back on the initial data shared earlier in this article; if you exercise you will experience the following benefits.

We are all aging, but we do have the ability to control what our later years will be (or are). Regular exercise, a good diet, good medical care and commitment to health will help you to live the life you deserve for a very long time.