By the time most women reach 30, they naturally begin to lose muscle mass. By the end of your 40’s, inactivity and poor nutrition can result in the loss of as much as 10% of your lean body mass. By 65, that number could be closer to 20%.(1)
Losing muscle mass can be detrimental to your health for a number of reasons. Losing lean mass lowers your metabolism making it easier to gain body fat and more difficult to lose it. Putting on excess body fat ultimately increases your risk of a number of health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.
The loss of lean body mass can also decrease your strength and mobility, making everyday task more difficult to perform. Over time, it also increases your risk of injury — weak muscles and bones equate to more sprains, strains, and fractures.
So for women, building muscle after 40 doesn’t just have to be about recapturing how you looked in your 20’s, it can also be a proactive means of maintaining your health as you age.
Can Women Build Muscle After 40?
Building muscle is very dependent on hormones, particularly testosterone.(2) Women’s testosterone levels are typically around 10x lower than men’s, which is why on average, women tend to have less muscle mass compared to men.
