Reduced calf circumference increases the risk of falls… Avoid by eating more protein.

In the fall, when daily temperature fluctuations increase, muscle flexibility decreases. Blood vessels and ligaments around joints contract, causing overall stiffness. Older adults should be especially careful about falls during this time. Falls in older age can result in more serious injuries and slower recovery than in younger years. They can cause more than simple abrasions; they can also result in broken bones, such as hip joints, or even death. It's important to take steps to prevent falls even before reaching old age, including exercise and protein intake.

Even a fall at home can cause a fracture… Muscle care is essential starting in your 50s.

Fall prevention should be incorporated into our daily lives. It's not just about being extra cautious when outdoors. Older adults, with weakened muscles and bones, are susceptible to accidents even at home. According to the Korea Consumer Agency, falls accounted for 62.7% (14,778 cases) of safety accidents involving seniors aged 65 and older reported to the Consumer Injury Surveillance System (CISS) over the past four years (2018-2021). Of these, 74% (11,055 cases) occurred at home, with many cases involving slipping on bathroom floors or falling from beds. It turns out that the home, often considered the safest place, is actually the most dangerous.

It's best to start preparing in your 50s or 60s. Building muscle is key. Muscle acts as a protective shield, buffering damage in the event of an accident. It also serves as the foundation for overall health. Research suggests that sarcopenia, a condition characterized by severe muscle loss, increases the risk of not only falls but also dementia and cancer.

 

If your calf circumference is less than 32 cm, you may have sarcopenia.

 

There are ways to assess whether you have sarcopenia at home. A prime example is the "fingerring test," developed by the University of Tokyo's Institute of Geriatrics. Make a circle with your thumb and index finger. Wrap the circle around the thickest part of your calf. If the circle is larger than your calf circumference, leaving room for space, you should suspect sarcopenia. The research team found that those whose calves fit perfectly within the circle had a 2.4 times higher risk of sarcopenia compared to those whose calves were thicker than the circle, and those whose fingerings were larger than their calves had a 6.6 times higher risk.

You can also measure your calf circumference with a tape measure or other tool to determine whether you have sarcopenia. A team led by Professors Won Jang and Seon-young Kim of the Department of Family Medicine at Kyung Hee University Medical Center conducted an experiment on 657 Korean seniors aged 70 to 84 and found that total body muscle mass is proportional to calf circumference. In fact, 82% of patients diagnosed with sarcopenia had a calf circumference of less than 32 cm. According to the research team, total body muscle mass tends to be proportional to calf circumference, and the calf directly affects walking, making it a useful area for diagnosing sarcopenia.

 

Low-molecular-weight protein hydrolysate helps with protein intake

 

As we age, muscle mass declines, as does its quality. Not only does the number of muscle cells decrease, but so does the strength each muscle cell can produce. Muscle strength can weaken to the point where basic physical activities like standing up from a chair or climbing stairs become difficult. Daily exercise is essential. It doesn't have to be a gym. Even just sitting and standing in a chair or standing on one leg to maintain balance are good exercises to do at home. For any exercise, two to three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions per pose are essential for building muscle strength.

Protein intake is just as important as exercise. A person should consume 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. A senior weighing 70 kilograms should consume approximately 84 grams of protein per day.

 

Koreans tend to eat a diet primarily comprised of rice, so their protein intake is significantly lower than their carbohydrate intake. High-protein foods like eggs and chicken are essential. However, protein is a large, polymeric nutrient, so it needs to be broken down into smaller pieces for optimal absorption. Gastric acid and pepsin, necessary for protein breakdown, decline with age, creating a problem. By the age of 60, people produce only one-third the amount they did in their 20s. Elderly individuals with weakened digestive systems may find it difficult to consume sufficient amounts.

 

In times like these, consuming functional protein ingredients is also a method.

 

One of them is "low-molecular-weight whey protein hydrolysate," the first protein material to be individually approved as a health functional food ingredient. It's made by powdering whey protein extracted from milk through an enzymatic reaction process, making it easy to digest and highly absorbable. Its muscle-enhancing properties have also been proven. This is the result of a human application test conducted by Maeil Health Nutrition on 87 men and women over the age of 50 who lacked skeletal muscle mass. When they consumed 6 grams of low-molecular-weight whey protein hydrolysate daily for 12 weeks while exercising, their quadriceps femoris strength (front thigh muscles) and muscle power (power) significantly improved.

 

==============

My mom said it was a thigh

It's the circumference of the calf.

 

As your calves get thinner, your protein intake decreases.

 

This is my first time hearing about low molecular weight hydrolyzed protein.

I guess I'll have to look it up.