Muscle Growth at Any Age

Today, let’s discuss fitness & aging. Just because you are a middle-aged individual, doesn’t mean it’s too late to take control of your health and improve the way you look. But there a few differences compared to younger individuals that are worth noting.
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Likely the most important difference when it comes to muscle growth is anabolic resistance. As you age, the anabolic response to strength training and protein consumption decreases [1, 2]. This can negatively affect recovery from training. Also, the older someone is, the more “wear-and-tear” usually is present from training and everyday activity. Because of these factors, older individuals may not be able to handle as much volume as their younger counterparts.
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But still, this should not be discouraging. Regardless of age, there is always progress to make and the research support this. A 2009 study found that middle-aged (35-50 y/old) and college-aged (18-22 y/old) males gained similar muscle when they followed the same program [3]. Other research shows that 60+-year-olds can still gain slight muscle and strength with consistent training [4].
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Next to gaining muscle, lifting weights is also a good treatment for age-related losses in muscle quality (sarcopenia). By challenging your muscles with strength training and paying more attention specifically to your protein intake, you can slow down many of the negative physical effects associated with aging [5].
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References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26784225
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670034/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19387379
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3117172/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4849483/