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Anabolic resistance might sound like a fancy term, but it’s a natural process that happens to all of us as we age. It’s important to understand so you can adjust your diet and exercise routines to best support your health throughout your life.

Keep reading to learn more about anabolic resistance and what it means for your health and fitness goals.

What is Anabolic Resistance?

Anabolic resistance is loosely defined as ‘your muscle’s reduced ability to grow and repair despite receiving the triggers to do so’. This means that as you age, even though you eat protein and exercise, your muscles no longer grow and repair as efficiently as they used to.

What Causes Anabolic Resistance?

Anabolic resistance is a natural and inevitable part of the aging process. While it can’t be avoided, it can be slowed down. But first – what causes it? For starters, as you age, your muscles no longer grow and repair themselves as efficiently as they used to.

Additionally, as you age, it’s natural for your body to become insulin resistant. Insulin is the hormone known for helping your body process sugar. Insulin also slows down the breakdown of your muscle proteins. However, the more your body becomes insulin resistant, the less it slows down muscle protein breakdown. That can contribute to your body’s anabolic resistance.

What Age Does Anabolic Resistance Start?

While there’s no exact age, it’s common to start experiencing the symptoms of anabolic
resistance in your 30’s and 40’s. Importantly, anabolic resistance can be accelerated by an
unhealthy lifestyle.

What are the Symptoms of Anabolic Resistance?

Symptoms of anabolic resistance include muscle and strength loss, insulin resistance, and some body fat gain. Luckily there are things you can do to slow down the process and maintain your strength, muscle mass, and health.

How Do You Stop Anabolic Resistance?

While it can’t be stopped completely, anabolic resistance can be mitigated by embracing a healthy lifestyle. This includes staying active and using your muscles every day, eating a nutritious diet, and enjoying high-quality protein.

Our team of scientists and athletes have rounded up three top tips to help you slow down anabolic resistance.

1. Strength Train
The best thing you can do to maintain your strength and muscle mass is to strength train at least two times per week. This can be done with your body weight, elastic bands, medicine balls, machine weights, or free weights.

Aerobic exercise is also good for your muscles and should be done on most days of the week. Try walking, cycling, hiking, swimming, or playing a sport with a friend. If you are looking for more information, refer to the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiologists for age-specific guidelines.

2. Well-Rounded and Healthy Diet
The second-best thing you can do is eat a well-rounded and healthy diet. Our team of scientists and athletes recommend following the Canada Food Guide. Part of the food guide is high-quality, lean proteins like chicken, turkey, and fish.

3. High-Quality Whey Protein Isolate Supplement
Finally, the third best tip is to invest in a high-quality whey protein isolate supplement. This will help you increase your protein intake in a convenient way. Muscle 5, our All-In-One Shake, also has creatine for strength & performance, along with vitamin D and calcium to strengthen your bones.

Learn more about how you can benefit from a high-quality protein supplement here.