Before we look at what happens to strength and power as we age, there is one important point to make, and this is:
There isn’t a specific birthday when we suddenly become weaker.
Ageing is gradual and highly individual, and research can show us general patterns, but people age at different rates.
Around 30–40: Muscle Is Generally Near Its Peak
Muscle mass and strength generally reach their highest levels during young adulthood. The National Institute on Aging places peak muscle mass and strength, around the early-to-mid 30s, although research and definitions vary.
Measurable changes in strength can begin from around 40, but this doesn’t mean that you suddenly become weaker when you reach 40.
A long-running study, found that upper-body strength and power, began to decline at around this age, in both men and women.
Think of 40 not as a cliff, but as the beginning of a much, longer journey.
Around 40–50: Subtle Changes Can Begin
This is where things become particularly interesting. Muscle size and muscle strength, are not exactly the same thing.
Ageing can affect the nervous system, and the quality and function of muscle, meaning that strength can change, even when there hasn’t been a dramatic loss of muscle size.
A 10-year study of 489 adults found that maximum muscle power declined over time in middle-aged and older adults, with the rate of decline becoming greater, in the older groups.
So, it isn’t simply about how much muscle you have.
It’s also about how well that muscle works.
Around 50 – 60: Differences Become More Noticeable
As we move through middle age, changes in muscle mass and strength, can become increasingly apparent. However, there is no universal age at which these changes happen. Individual differences can be considerable.
One of the most important findings in the research is that strength can decline considerably faster, than muscle mass.
A quantitative review found that, around age 75, muscle mass was declining at approximately 0.64–0.70% per year in women and 0.80–0.98% in men, while strength was declining much faster — approximately 2.5–3% per year in women and 3–4% in men.
In studies that measured both, strength, was being lost at approximately 2–5 times faster than muscle mass. That’s quite remarkable.
It means that maintaining muscle size alone isn’t the whole story.
60 – 70+: Strength Becomes Increasingly Important
As we get older, maintaining strength becomes particularly important, for everyday movement and physical independence. This brings us to another important term:
Muscle Power
Strength is the ability to produce force.
Power is the ability to produce force, quickly.
That distinction matters. The following activities require a person to use force quickly:
- Getting up from a chair. Climbing stairs. Stepping over an obstacle
- Walking quickly. Recovering from a stumble.
- Moving out of the way, of something
Research suggests that muscle power declines earlier, and more rapidly with age, than muscle strength. Research also suggests that muscle power is strongly related to physical function, in older adults.
A useful way to think about it is: Muscle mass → strength → power
However, the relationship is more complicated than that; because changes in muscle quality and the nervous system, also contribute to changes in, strength and power.
Why Does This Matter?
Ageing, doesn’t mean that we are destined to become weak or inactive.
It does mean that maintaining muscle, strength and physical function, becomes increasingly important.
Regular physical activity, and appropriate resistance exercise, are important tools for maintaining physical function as we age.
The Weights2Go Weighted Sports Bottles are designed to combine hydration with resistance, giving you the opportunity to incorporate some additional resistance into activities, such as walking, hiking, running, and other forms of exercise.
The aim isn’t to stop ageing; none of us can do that!
Our aim should be, to stay active and support strength and physical function, throughout the years.
Hydrate. Strengthen. Go.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this article, and on this website, is for general educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to replace medical advice, diagnosis or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional.
If you experience rapid or unexplained weight loss or weight gain, persistent abdominal swelling or bloating, significant changes in your bowel habits, abdominal pain, or any other symptoms that concern you, please speak to your doctor.
If you are new to exercise, have an existing medical condition, are taking medication, or are unsure whether a particular exercise, diet or weight-loss approach, is suitable for you, speak to your doctor or another appropriately qualified healthcare professional, before starting or changing, your exercise programme.
Research is continually evolving, and individual responses to diet, exercise, sleep and weight loss, can vary considerably.
Research & Further Reading
Mitchell et al. (2012) — Sarcopenia, Dynapenia, and the Impact of Advancing Age on Human Skeletal Muscle Size and Strength: A Quantitative Review
A quantitative review examining age-related changes in muscle mass and strength. The review found that strength can decline substantially faster than muscle mass.
Haynes et al. (2020) — Age and Sex-Related Decline of Muscle Strength Across the Adult Lifespan
A scoping review examining age-related changes in muscle strength using aggregated data from more than 15,000 participants.
Alcazar et al. (2023) — Ten-Year Longitudinal Changes in Muscle Power, Force, and Velocity in Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults
A 10-year longitudinal study examining changes in muscle power across different age groups.
Reid & Fielding (2012) — Skeletal Muscle Power: A Critical Determinant of Physical Functioning in Older Adults
A review examining the importance of muscle power for physical function and mobility in older adults.