Obesity & belly fatEvidence-basedLesson 13 of 20

Muscle is metabolic currency

Every kilogram of muscle raises your daily burn, stores glucose and protects you as you age.

4 min+20 XP

A glucose reservoir

Muscle stores glycogen. More muscle means more room to park carbohydrate rather than leaving it circulating in your blood or converting it to liver fat.

The ageing curve

Adults lose 3–8% of muscle mass per decade after 30 — a process called sarcopenia — unless they train against resistance. This loss drives falls, frailty and declining metabolic health more than age itself.

The minimum effective dose

Two or three sessions per week of progressive resistance training, hitting each major muscle group, is enough to build and maintain. Bodyweight, bands or free weights all work.

Key takeaways

Muscle stores glucose and raises resting burn.
Adults lose 3–8% of muscle per decade without training.
Two to three resistance sessions a week is enough.

Check your understanding

1 question · answer to earn XP

1. What is sarcopenia?

Evidence & sources

This lesson reflects guidance from recognised health bodies and peer-reviewed research.

How we grade evidence

Guideline — recommendations from national or global health bodies.
Systematic review — pooled findings across many studies.
Cohort study — long-term observation of large groups of people.
Government data — official statistics and public health programmes.

For education purposes only — not intended to diagnose, treat or replace medical advice.