Question: Why is resistance training (weight training) so important for older populations?

Answer: The population of men and women over the age of 65 is growing and growing. Many years of inactivity can lead to physical problems and disease. The main problems with advancing age is loss of bone mass and muscle, which can make daily activities increasingly hard. Bones become fragile and may fracture very easily particularly at the hip, spine, or wrist. Loss of bone mass and density can be avoided through exercise and proper nutrition. Loss of muscle mass is also a serious problem. After the age of 30 there is a decrease is the size of muscle fibers (especially in women). The consequences of this loss of muscle are reduce strength and power making it harder to perform daily functions. Safely performing tasks such as climbing stairs and carrying groceries may be difficult. With the muscles being weaker and the bones being fragile, the risk of falls and fractures become more and more likely.

Exercise can lead to significant improvements in muscle strength, muscle mass, bone density, and mobility. While both strength and cardio training can be beneficial for older adults, only strength training can increase muscle size and strength.

Question: What does Glycemic Index mean and do I need to incorporate that into my diet?

Answer: Glycemic Index (GI) is becoming a more popular term to use when taking about weight loss. GI is used to categorize different types of carbohydrates. The higher the GI of the carbohydrate the faster the body can breack down the starches and convert the carb into glucose for the body to use. Food sources with high GI will result in a quick spike in insulin release with an increase in energy followed by a quick drop in insulin. When these foods are ingested they will usually leave you craving more soon after. These foods are the most important to consume after a workout to help promote glycogen resynthesis (restoring muscle glycogen levels). Foods with a low GI will result in a slower increase in insulin levels and keep you satisfied for longer. Both high and low GI foods are useful and one should not be avoided despite claims of many diet systems. Also, GI can often be inaccurate since the index will change depending on if the carbs are consumed with fats and proteins which they most likely will be. When starting a weight loss routine remember the most important thing you can do is increase you activity level while decreasing you caloric intake.

Mike