Alpha Linoleic Acid - The Key to Halting Muscle Loss?
A favorite saying among many in my age group is, "growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional." It’s a refreshing thought to be able to remain young at heart, even as your body grows older. But what if the effects of aging could be put off as well? Wouldn’t it be great to be able to retain your physique and keep the muscle of your youth?
For older athletes, the threat of sarcopenia, the "age-related loss of muscle mass, strength and function," is a very real one. Despite resistance training and other muscle-building efforts, age takes a toll on an individual’s muscular system. And the process can begin sooner than you think - research has concluded sarcopenia can begin during your 40s (1). Another factor working against athletes passing out of their primes is a lower rate of protein synthesis, which contributes to reduced amounts of muscle mass (2).
But that doesn’t mean adding muscle is impossible for those whose bodies have matured; recent research points to Alpha Linoleic Acid as a way to stave off the muscular degeneration that comes with age.
A study compared the effects of ALA on two groups of adults participating in an identical resistance training program. Over the course of 12 weeks, the men supplementing with ALA experienced a reduction in concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory molecule that is related to muscle atrophy (3,4). The researchers concluded that due to the reduction of inflammatory effects, ALA has the ability to "reduce the risk of musculoskeletal changes associated with aging." Additionally, ALA "attenuated the increase in total body bone mineral density observed with a resistance training program" (3).
Alpha Linoleic Acid’s benefits aren’t just for older athletes, though. The polyunsaturated fatty acid was found to have "clinical significance in the prevention and reversal of insulin resistance," a condition that is associated with weight gain, fat storage, high blood sugar, and increased blood pressure (5). Obviously, none of these consequences are conducive to a healthy lifestyle, so intake of ALA can benefit anyone.
In addition to supplements, ALA is found in soybeans, walnuts, flax, chia, rapeseed and their associated oils.
SOURCES:
1. Waters, D.L., R.N. Baumgartner & P.J. Garry. 2000. “Sarcopenia: Current Perspectives.” The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 4(3):133-139.
2. Yarasheski, K.E. et al. 1999. “Resistance Exercise Training Increases Mixed Muscle Protein Synthesis Rate in Frail Women and Men.” American Journal of Physiology 277: 118-125
3. Cornish, Stephen M.; Chilibeck, Philip D. 2008. "Effects of Alpha-Linolenic Acid Supplementation on Cytokines During Resistance Training in Older Adults." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 40(5): 402.
