During the fall season when the temperature difference between day and night increases, muscle flexibility decreases. Blood vessels and ligaments around the joints contract, making the body generally stiff. Elderly individuals should be especially cautious of falls during this time. Falling in old age can result in more severe injuries than when young, and recovery is often slower. It can lead to not only simple abrasions but also fractures of bones such as the hip, or in severe cases, loss of life. Preventive measures such as exercise and adequate protein intake should be taken before reaching old age to prevent falls.

Even if you fall at home, you can fracture... Muscle management should begin in your 50s

Fall accident prevention should become a routine part of daily life. It is not an exception only during outdoor activities. Elderly individuals with weakened muscles and bones are also at risk of accidents while living at home. According to the Korea Consumer Agency, over the past four years (2018-2021), 62.7% (14,778 cases) of safety accidents involving seniors aged 65 and older reported to the Consumer Safety Monitoring System (CISS) were falls. Of these, 74% (11,055 cases) occurred at home, with many incidents involving slipping on bathroom floors or falling from beds. The home, which is considered the safest place, is actually the most dangerous.

It is good to start preparing in your 50s to 60s. Building muscle is key. Muscles act as a protective barrier that cushions the body during accidents. They also play a role in establishing overall health. There is research indicating that when muscle deficiency becomes severe, known as sarcopenia, the risk of falls, dementia, cancer, and death increases.

 

Possibility of sarcopenia if calf circumference is less than 32 cm

 

There is a way to estimate whether you have sarcopenia at home. The 'fingering test' developed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology is a representative method. Join the thumbs and index fingers of both hands to form a circle. Wrap this circle around the thickest part of your calf. If the circle made with your hands is larger than your calf circumference, leaving some space, it may indicate sarcopenia. The research team reported that people whose calves are thicker than the circle are 2.4 times more likely to have sarcopenia, and those whose finger ring is larger than their calf are 6.6 times more at risk.

You can measure calf circumference with tools like a tape measure to determine whether or not you have sarcopenia. According to a study conducted by the Department of Family Medicine at Kyunghee Medical Center, led by Professors Won and Kim Sun-young, involving 657 elderly Koreans aged 70 to 84, it was found that overall 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. The research team states that total body muscle mass tends to be proportional to calf circumference, and since the calf directly affects walking, it is a useful site for diagnosing sarcopenia.

 

Low-molecular-weight whey protein hydrolysate aids in protein intake

 

In old age, not only muscle mass but also muscle quality decreases. The number of muscle cells diminishes, and the strength each muscle cell produces also declines. Muscle weakness can become so severe that it becomes difficult to perform basic physical activities such as standing up from a chair or climbing stairs. It is essential to exercise daily. You don't have to go to a gym. Repeatedly sitting and standing from a chair at home or consistently practicing balance exercises like standing on one leg are beneficial. Any exercise should be performed in 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions per posture to effectively strengthen muscles.

Protein intake is just as important as exercise. You should consume 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. An elderly person weighing 70 kg should eat about 84 grams of protein per day.

 

Koreans tend to have meals centered around rice, so their protein intake is often insufficient compared to carbohydrates. They should include high-protein foods such as eggs and chicken. However, since proteins are large polymer nutrients, they need to be broken down into smaller pieces to be well absorbed in the body. The stomach acid and pepsin required for protein digestion decrease with age, which is problematic. By the time they reach their 60s, the secretion level is only about one-third of that in their 20s. Elderly people with weakened digestion may find it difficult to eat enough.

 

In such cases, consuming functional protein ingredients can also be an option.

 

The first protein-based ingredient to be recognized as a health functional food individual approval material is 'low-molecular-weight whey protein hydrolysate.' It is made by extracting whey protein from milk and then converting it into powder through an enzymatic reaction process, making it easy to digest and highly absorbable in the body. Its efficacy in improving muscle strength has also been proven. This is based on a human application test conducted by Daily Health Nutrition on 87 adult men and women aged 50 and over with insufficient skeletal muscle mass. Over 12 weeks of exercise, participants consumed 6 grams of low-molecular-weight whey protein hydrolysate daily, resulting in significant improvements in quadriceps strength (front thigh muscles) and muscle power (explosiveness).

 

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My mom said it was her thigh.

It's the calf circumference.

 

If your calves gradually become thinner, your protein levels decrease.

 

I've never heard of low-molecular-weight whey protein hydrolysate before.

I need to look into it a bit.