How to Build Up Atrophied Muscles

Your muscles atrophy when you do not use them. Inactivity is by far the biggest reason we lose muscle mass, not age. During a presentation for the American Diabetes Association, William Evans, Ph.D., of the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center, cited studies that concluded that athletes who continue to train throughout their 30s, 40s, and 50s, tend to keep their muscle mass stable. Muscle may also atrophy if you do not get proper nutrition, if you take certain medications, or are sick.

Instructions

Action Plan

• 1

  The more you exercise, the more muscle you will build and keep. According to Evans, "We can see that the amount they have is directly related to the amount of time they spend exercising." To maintain and build muscle, it's important to weight train your entire body. As you get older, engage in less cardio and more weight training.

• 2

  Ensure that you are eating correctly. If you do not eat sufficiently while training, you may break down your muscles instead of building them.

• 3

  Check with your doctor to ensure that you do not have any muscle wasting diseases. If you do have such an illness, ask for advice on how to maintain muscle mass.

• 4

  Inquire about electrical nerve stimulation. According to the website Wisegeek.com, "this technique is sometimes used for people confined to wheelchairs to keep their muscle tone strong and healthy."

• 5

  Look into new biochemical developments. According to a 2009 study by researchers at the University of California -- Berkeley, "critical biochemical pathways linked to the aging of human muscle have been identified. By manipulating these pathways, the researchers were able to turn back the clock on old human muscle, restoring its ability to repair and rebuild itself."