The Science Behind Why Some of Us Can't Grow Big Muscles After Turning 50

There is perhaps no better way to see the absolute pinnacle of human athletic abilities than by watching the Olympics.

But at the Winter Games this year – and at almost all professional sporting events – you rarely see a competitor over 40 years old and almost never see a single athlete over 50.

This is because with every additional year spent on Earth, bodies age and muscles don't respond to exercise the same as they used to.

I lead a team of scientists who study the health benefits of exercise, strength training, and diet in older people. We investigate how older people respond to exercise and try to understand the underlying biological mechanisms that cause muscles to increase in size and strength after resistance or strength training.

Old and young people build muscle in the same way. But as you age, many of the biological processes that turn exercise into muscle become less effective.

This makes it harder for older people to build strength but also makes it that much more important for everyone to continue exercising as they age.

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