What Is Metabolic Health and Why Does Tracking It Matter as You Age?
Sarah R Barbour, MD
Internal Medicine
It’s no secret that, as you get older, your body goes through a wide range of changes. But while significant emphasis is placed on areas like heart and brain health, your metabolic health can play an outsized role in how you age as well.
Metabolic health, which refers to how well your body converts food into energy, is a major factor in prevention against a number of serious medical conditions and diseases while also promoting healthy aging.
How Age-Related Muscle Loss Impacts Metabolic Health
A major driver of metabolic health is muscle mass, which naturally starts to decline as you age.
Loss of muscle can start as early as your mid-30s and accelerate over the decades. Adults who don’t do strength training on a regular basis can lose four to six pounds of muscle in a decade. By the time you’re in your 70s and 80s, you could lose up to 10 percent of your muscle mass in a single year.
Muscle is much more metabolically active than fat, and losing it can dramatically impact your bodily processes.
You may develop insulin resistance as your use of glucose becomes less efficient, eventually leading to pre-diabetes and other metabolic disorders. Cholesterol levels may rise as well.
Among the symptoms of declining metabolic health:
- Noticeable muscle wasting
- An increasing waistline, even without weight gain
- More of your fat concentrated in your belly
Poor metabolic health can eventually lead to more serious issues. Obesity is often the end result of metabolic dysfunction, putting you at a heightened risk of stroke, heart disease, dementia and more than a dozen types of cancer.
It can also increase your risk of falling which, once you’re 75 or older, is an issue that should be taken just as seriously as cardiac risk.
When Should You Start Thinking About Your Metabolic Health?
The earlier you take your metabolic health into account, the easier it will be to manage when you’re older. What you do in midlife impacts how you age as much or more than what you do when you reach your 60s and 70s.
It’s almost akin to putting money in a bank. Building and maintaining muscle mass is easier the younger you are. So, if you spend your 40s and 50s focusing on eating healthy, getting adequate sleep and building muscle, you’re putting money away in your metabolic bank that you can utilize later.
Once you’re older and metabolic health becomes more important, you can focus on maintaining instead of building. But it’s also truly never too late to get started. You can build new muscle in your 60s, 70s and 80s.
Many of the issues tied to metabolic health can also be reversed once it becomes a point of emphasis.
Areas to focus on include:
- Eating well
- Exercising and working to build muscle
- Getting better quality sleep
Don’t underestimate the importance of sleep, which has a major impact on the body’s metabolism, according to the National Institutes of Health. Adults should aim for at least seven hours a night.
When To See a Doctor About Your Metabolic Health
If you’re in your 60s or older, it’s a good idea to get a checkup on your metabolic health indicators at least once a year.
This often includes:
- Fasting glucose
- Lipid panel
- Weight circumference
- Body fat percentage
This can all be evaluated during an in-office visit. Don’t wait for an issue to pop up before taking your metabolic health seriously. Keeping up with it can help your doctor identify potential problems before symptoms even appear.
If you’re over the age of 60, it’s also a good idea to come in for a checkup before starting any new exercise program. Don’t go to the gym and attempt heavy lifting for the first time without knowing if your heart is up for it.
An evaluation before making any major lifestyle changes to improve your metabolic health can make a big difference in your progress. Even dietary changes can be difficult to stick with on your own. Having guidelines and support from a physician or nutritionist can go a long way in helping you get healthier faster.
This content is not AI generated.
