You Lose 40% of Muscle Strength by Your 60s and Then It Accelerates

My wife and I were having lunch with friends about six years ago. We were in our late 70s, and they were in their mid-80s. The gentleman said he had noticed over the last five years that he had been losing strength very rapidly. He had never noticed it before, but it was quite apparent now. My thought at the time was that he had been losing it slowly over time, but hadn’t noticed it, and that it had finally caught up with him and become obvious. But now that I’m 84, I realize that he was correct. The loss of muscle mass and strength rapidly escalates in most people in their late 70s and early 80s. The question is whether we can do anything to slow or reverse it. The answer is contrary to what most people believe. Yes, you can slow it and even reverse it, at no cost but with effort.

Health versus wellness and the loss of muscle

Health and wellness are often conflated, but they’re actually quite different. Health is the absence of disease, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, or dementia. Wellness is the ability to do the things in life that matter, that give joy, such as carry the groceries, open a pickle jar, cuddle your great-grandchild, or, importantly, get up off the floor without assistance.

The fundamental issue is the loss of muscle mass and the resulting decline in strength. As we lose muscle mass, we often lose our sense of balance. Muscle loss begins in midlife and initially declines at about 1% per year. It speeds up in the late 70s and early 80s, so that by age 80 or so, the average individual has lost about 40% or more of their muscle mass and muscle strength.

Physicians call this loss of muscle sarcopenia. The graphic shows a cross-section of a muscle from a man at age 25 and from a man at age 63. The younger man’s muscle is pretty much all muscle, with just a little fat around it, but the older man has thick fat around and within his much-reduced muscle.

Swedish study results are striking

There’s a study from Sweden in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle from November 2025 called “The rise and fall of physical capacity in a general population: a 47-year longitudinal study. “

Dr. Maria Weserstahl and colleagues have followed 427 men and women for 47 years. Each participant was age 16 at initiation of the study and is now 63. Multiple tests have been conducted every few years to assess muscle strength, power, and aerobic capacity. They observed that each of these measures increased from age 16 to about age 35, then began to decline. Initially, the decline was about 0.3% per year, but it accelerated to 2.5% per year by age 63. The total decline from the peak ranged from 30% to 48%.

The first graphic shows bench press as a measure of strength. Strength is largely dependent on slow-twitch, or red, muscle fibers. The upper part of the graph shows the men, and the lower part shows the women. The key point is that, at age 16, boys were stronger than girls, and this persisted throughout adulthood. Both men and women reached peak strength about age 36 and then began the steady decline. Not appreciated from the graphic, those of either sex who had the highest level of strength at age 16 tended to have the highest strength at age 63. Those who began to exercise at any point during the 47 years had a higher or greater strength by age 63

The second graph shows vertical jump performance as a measure of power, or the status of white or fast-twitch muscle fibers. The investigators had each individual stand next to a wall and jump as high as they could, touching their fingers at the high point. Here again, the boys’ power was greater than the girls’. The peak occurred around age 26 in the men and didn’t increase in most of the women. Thereafter, both men’s and women’s power declined steadily through age 63.

The third graphic shows aerobic capacity as a measure of endurance. Here again, the boys had a higher aerobic capacity than the girls at age 16. But both men’s and women’s aerobic capacity increased substantially, peaking around age 35 and then dropping off quickly.

As noted, those at the highest point at age 16 remained at the highest level at age 63. But those who started exercising at any age reached a higher level by age 63. The message I take away from this is “it is never too late” to improve your lifestyle.

It will be very interesting to learn what happens to these muscle values as the study continues into the participants’ 70s, 80s, and 90s. But from other studies we know that muscle mass and strength continue to decline, accelerating in the late 70s and early 80s, consistent with my friend’s and my own experience.

The good news, not emphasized in this report, was that beginning to exercise led to greater strength, power, and aerobic capacity at age 63 than among those who did not.

Reclaiming lost muscle

It’s no surprise that older people will often say something like, “I don’t like it, but losing muscle is just what happens when you get older.” Or “It’s too late for me to do anything about it “. But these statements are not true! It is never too late. You can slow the decline. You can rebuild muscle. But, to be honest, it takes real work and persistence over time. The following image is of a 70-year-old triathlete. You don’t need to be that aggressive, but the point is that it is possible to maintain muscle mass, and it is possible to regain it if you have lost it.

To reverse muscle loss, the critical steps are to 1) do resistance exercises, 2) increase protein intake, and 3) increase the micronutrients found in fruits and veggies, while 4) managing stress, and 5) enhancing sleep.

Resistance exercises can be done all at once over an hour or two, and repeated later in the week. But it is often more practical to do some each day. For example, do upper-body resistance exercises on Monday and Thursday, core on Tuesday and Friday, lower body on Wednesday and Saturday, and leave Sunday as a day off.

There is a pernicious myth that seniors should not do resistance exercises because they can hurt themselves. This advice has come from well-meaning physicians, physical therapists, personal trainers, and friends, but the data is clear: resistance exercises are not dangerous and, indeed, are essential. They’re proven to be safe and effective at any age, up to and beyond age 100. Inactivity risk is far greater than weight training risk for older adults. That said, it would be wise for an older person to work with a personal trainer to develop an effective yet safe exercise plan.

It takes more effort for an older person to build muscle mass and strength than for a younger person. But there’s no question that an older person can do both, do it effectively, and do it safely. It is never too late.

Building muscle requires protein and various micronutrients. Most people, and certainly most older people, do not get adequate protein. The current rule of thumb is that an active senior should get between 0.5 and 0.9 g per pound. This translates to about 115 g of protein per day for a 150-pound active senior. It’s quite possible to consume 115 g of protein in a day, but for some, that may be daunting without adding a protein supplement. If you do choose to supplement, choose one without added sugars. Also, consider adding a creatine supplement.

Micronutrients are found in high concentration in dark, green, leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and fruits, especially berries.

At the same time, avoid ultraprocessed foods (UPFs), reduce calories, and avoid sugar (candy, ice cream) and foods made with white flour (white bread, pasta, pastries). The reason to avoid white flour is that it quickly breaks down into glucose (sugar). Since older people are less active and have less muscle mass, they need fewer calories. This may sound like a paradox, but reducing ultraprocessed foods with their sugar, fat, and salt while increasing protein means fewer calories.

Finally, your body needs a good night’s sleep, usually 7 ½ hours and it is important to manage your chronic stresses to reduce the stress chemicals that can slow muscle regrowth.

It is never too late
Maintaining muscle mass and strength is not just about feeling well and doing those things that are both fun and important to daily living. Low muscle mass is a predictor of all-cause mortality and of lifespan. It prevents you from becoming fail which is itself a mortality predictor. Muscle mass is also key to avoiding metabolic diseases such as diabetes.

You can reverse the loss of muscle that comes with aging. You can slow muscle loss of aging. You can rebuild muscle mass and strength. And in doing so, you can remain or become “well.”

Remember that it’s never too late to make the change and modify your lifestyles for the better. It can make life more enjoyable, healthier, and add to your health span and your lifespan. Here is a plus: you will find new friends where you exercise.

Please note: This article is for your education; it is not medical advice. I recommend you take this article to your physician and seek their advice on what is best for you.