If keeping fit seems to be getting harder as you get older, that's because it is, especially for older women.

U.S. and British researchers have found that women between the ages of 65 and 80 have more difficulty than men replacing muscle [1] that's lost naturally during the aging process.

In this age range, women are less able to use protein to build muscle [1]. That difference between the sexes doesn't occur at younger ages, though, which makes researchers suspect menopause-related hormone changes as a probable culprit.

This study is the first to illustrate a biological difference in muscle [1] loss between men and women.

To compensate, older women should make sure to eat plenty of protein-rich foods (eggs, fish, chicken and lean red meat). That doesn't mean they need to eat more, the study said, but rather eat a higher proportion of protein.

It's also important that older women lift weights, for the good of both their muscles [1] and their bones [1].

Maintaining muscle [1] mass is not just a matter of looking good, the researchers said. It's also a matter of safety, by helping to reduce falls, a major cause of injury and death in older adults.

Source: The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. Powered by YellowBrix.

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