At a time when seniors of all ages seek ways to push back the process of aging and are coming to understand that retaining muscle strength and function is important to that goal, a symposium on “optimal aging” is scheduled at Bellevue College this month.
The Jan. 16 symposium, titled “optimal aging and preventing muscle loss – sarcopenia,” will feature a presentation on a recent landmark study done at the University of Washington on a new medical protocol to improve muscle function. The 6 p.m.-8 p.m. session also will have presentations on the roles of physical training and nutrition in enhancing muscular strength.
Kevin Conley, a UW professor who recently completed a four-month study on how to restore muscle loss and reverse functional decline, will discuss “treatments beyond diet and exercise.” Conley’s study, aimed particularly at the impact of the disease called Sarcopenia that impacts about a quarter of adults older than age 60, focused specifically on the impact of a natural astaxanthin medicinal formula called MYO provided by AstaMed.
Other presenters at the Bellevue College event are:
• Ann-Marie Anderson, whose Ideal Exercise high-intensity training gyms include a focus on building muscular strength in seniors;
• Michelle Simon, a licensed naturopath and PhD in Biomedical Engineering whose presentation is keyed to “targeted clinical nutrition to enhance muscular skeletal function;”
• Joe Upton MD who is board certified in family medicine and anti-aging, who will discuss “an integrative physician’s perspective and approach for optimal aging.”
In discussing the role of his company’s product, MYO, and its role in the the landmark study by Conley, AstaMed General Manager Dan Mueller said, “We are extremely pleased this new research clearly indicates a viable new option to manage sarcopenia. This study is the first of its kind that shows such a significant improvement in muscular strength and endurance using AstaMed MYO which along with exercise, can make a difference in the lives of millions of aging Americans facing the debilitating effects of sarcopenia.”
