Muscle health is key to longevity. Here is how to measure yours

Muscle health is linked to how well we fight off disease and our longevity. But healthy muscles aren’t just about the size of a bicep or how much we weigh. An international team of kinesiologists and nutrition experts recently urged doctors to pay more attention to skeletal muscle quality and the ratio of muscle to fat as a key to “metabolic regulation, immune function and overall vitality and functioning.” “Muscle health estimation could be as important as measuring somebody’s blood pressure,” said longevity expert Dr. Nicolaas Deutz, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management at Texas A&M University and a co-author of the expert review. Kinesiology is the study of physical activity and body mechanics.

Healthy muscles not only help you move safely, they’re also the body’s main storage system for blood sugar, which maintains an active metabolism and lowers inflammation in the body. Muscle health is usually associated with muscle size in younger people, but that relationship becomes less clear as we get older, said Deutz. In fact, mass is only a part of overall muscle health. For instance, women generally have lower overall muscle mass than men, yet their muscle health is generally comparable to men’s. A more complete picture of muscle includes strength, balance, physical function, activity levels and the amount of fat stored