#MuscleHealth

As Thailand’s population ages at a record pace, maintaining muscle health is emerging as a top concern for public health, medical practitioners, and older adults alike. Recent research highlighted by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) underscores the critical role nutrition plays in protecting muscle mass—a lifeline for those striving to remain independent and avoid frailty well into their later years. The latest evidence shows it’s not just exercise but also everyday foods, rich in key nutrients, that hold the secret to preserving strength and vitality as we age (AARP).

A quiet revolution is taking place in gyms and therapy rooms around the world: the rise of “eccentric exercise” — focusing on the muscle-lengthening part of a movement, such as slowly lowering a weight. New research highlighted in a major feature by The New York Times (nytimes.com) and corroborated by fresh scientific studies points to the growing consensus that slowing down and emphasizing the “downward” or lengthening phase of a workout can yield significant improvements in strength and serve as a powerful tool for protecting against injury.

A recent story has captivated fitness enthusiasts and health professionals alike: a 51-year-old woman, after years of struggling with hormonal changes and chronic health issues, has reached her peak physical condition through a dramatic shift in her exercise routine. By replacing exhausting cardio with focused strength training, she not only managed her perimenopause symptoms but also achieved new levels of strength and wellness—challenging outdated ideas about aging and female fitness. Her journey, covered by Business Insider in June 2025, is now echoed by a surge of medical research supporting the benefits of weightlifting and muscle-building workouts for women in their 40s and 50s worldwide—including Thailand.

A surge of new research is shedding light on whether creatine supplementation can benefit older adults looking to maintain muscle strength and physical function—a subject of growing interest in aging societies like Thailand. While creatine is best known as a staple among young athletes, recent studies suggest its effects extend modestly into older age, provided it’s combined with resistance training.

As Thai society faces the realities of an aging population, many individuals and families are searching for effective, safe interventions to help preserve muscle mass and independence into later life. Age-related muscle loss, or sarcopenia, underpins higher risks of frailty, falls, and reduced quality of life among seniors. Strategies to slow or reverse this decline are urgently needed, making the question of accessible supplements like creatine highly relevant. But what does the latest science say?

A recent scientific breakthrough has revealed that dedicating as little as 30 minutes, twice a week, to weight training can lead to significant muscle gains and improved strength in healthy adults. The study, published in April in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, challenges the widespread perception that effective resistance training demands extensive hours in the gym and sophisticated routines. For the millions struggling to find time for fitness, this research offers a new path toward better health, with powerful implications for Thai society, where chronic diseases and sedentary lifestyles are growing concerns.

Emerging scientific evidence is upending long-established beliefs about how and when to consume protein for optimal muscle gains, alleviating the pressure many fitness enthusiasts feel to meticulously schedule frequent protein doses throughout the day. According to recent studies published in respected scientific journals, the notion that the human body can absorb only 20 grams of protein at a time, and therefore requires a steady drip of protein intake every few hours, is now being reconsidered by leading researchers.

Protein has long been crowned the “macronutrient king”—the building block behind strong muscles, healthy skin, shiny hair, and a satisfied, full feeling after meals. Yet even as high-protein diets trend on social media and more Thais opt for protein shakes or add an extra egg to their khao tom, new research and expert advice reveal that it’s surprisingly easy to fall short on daily protein needs, and the effects may be more subtle—and more important—than most people realise source.