The supplements that are good for weak legs in the elderly are vitamin D supplements, magnesium supplements, calcium supplements, omega 3 fatty acid supplements and protein supplements which can improve muscle strength and muscle mass and reduce fall risk in the elderly.
Vitamin D is important for calcium absorption and bone health and having deficiencies in vitamin D are common in elderly people and correcting the vitamin D deficiency through vitamin D supplements can improve your muscle strength and function.
Calcium is important for bone health a well as muscle function and getting enough intake of calcium can help prevent weakness of the bones and improve your muscle strength and magnesium also supports muscle relaxation and production of energy and protein is vitamin in building and repairing muscle tissue and older adults often need to increase protein intake through protein powders and protein supplements or by eating protein rich foods.
Omega 3 fatty acids that are found in fish oil can help improve your muscle strength and reduce sarcopenia which is age related muscle loss.
And creatine is a supplement which helps improve your muscle strength and function, especially in the elderly and older adults.
Coenzyme Q10 is also an antioxidant which plays a role in production of energy within your cells and can also help to improve muscle function and muscle energy.
Vitamin B12 is also important for nerve function and can also improve muscle health and potassium also helps to maintain normal cell function and more particularly in the nerves and muscles.
You can in most cases regain lost muscle mass through a process called muscle memory and through eating a healthy diet, remaining active, exercising and through getting enough protein in your diet and doing consistent strength training.
Muscle loss also known as muscle wasting or muscle atrophy is usually reversible, especially when the muscle loss was caused by injury or inactivity.
It can take a few months or so to see results of getting the muscle mass back but as long a you keep up with the exercises, strength training, staying active and eating healthy and getting enough protein you can in most cases get the lost muscle mass back.
However the older you are the longer it will often take for the muscle mass to come back and if you're in your 80s or above you might not ever get the muscle mass back but it's still good to stay active even in older age if you can.
Some reasons for losing muscle mass in your legs and arms and other areas of the body can be due to not moving around enough, not walking enough, be inactive, aging, malnutrition, not eating healthy enough and getting enough protein, certain medications and even genetics can all cause loss of muscle mass in your legs and arms and other areas of the body.
When you're not using your leg or arm muscles regularly, the body can start to break down the muscles in the legs and arms for energy which leads to muscle mass loss also known as muscle wasting or muscle atrophy.
When you don't use your muscles enough it's called physiologic atrophy or disuse atrophy.
And neurogenic atrophy occurs due to nerve problems or other diseases.
To stop losing muscle mass you should engage in regular strength training as well as eating a protein rich diet and getting plenty and adequate quality sleep.
For strengthen training to stop losing muscle mass you should do at least 2 to 3 strength training exercises a week and allow for time for adequate rest between the strength training workouts.
Also doing exercises such as lunges, push ups, rows, squats and deadlifts can also help improve muscle mass and prevent and stop the loss of muscle mass.
You can also then gradually increase the weight, sets and or repetitions as you become stronger and gain more muscle mass.
Also stay consistent with the workouts to see and maintain the results in your muscle mass.
Eating a protein rich diet is important to maintain muscle mass and stop loss of muscle mass.
Protein is crucial for muscle repair and muscle growth so you should aim to get at least 1.0 to 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight.
This is especially true when you're actively engaging in strength training.
To get enough protein to help maintain and stop losing muscle mass you should eat lean protein foods in your diet such as fish, chicken, beans, eggs, lentils and dairy products.
Sleep is also very important to stop loss of muscle mass and maintain your muscle mass and sleep also helps the body recover and rebuild muscle tissue and keep you healthy overall.
You should try to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep and quality sleep per night and practice good sleep hygiene like maintaining a regular sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine and also ensuring you have a comfortable sleep environment.
Also ensure that you're getting enough calories to support your activity level and muscle building goals and drink plenty of water to keep hydrated and support muscle function.