Aging’s Effects on Our Musculoskeletal System
When we are born, our muscular and skeletal systems undergo growth at an incredible rate during infancy, followed by a second growth spurt at puberty which lasts through most of our adolescence. This growth occurs naturally in the absence of any limiting factors. Once we reach adulthood, this natural growth rate reaches its peak and within a few years begins its long, steady decline.After reaching peak strength at around 25 years of age, our muscular system plateaus and then declines at a rate of about 3 to 5 percent per decade after the age of 30. This is known as Sarcopenia. This same time frame can be applied to bone density as well where, after it peaks, bone strength naturally weakens (a process known as osteopenia), and for many, leads to osteoporosis (a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural breakdown).
