#143 - Is Muscle the Organ of Longevity?

Muscle might be the most underrated “longevity tool” you can build and carry for the rest of your life. We sit down and ask a surprisingly big question: is muscle the organ of longevity? From blood sugar control to fall prevention, we walk through why strength is not just about looking fit, and why it may predict how long you live and how independent you stay.

We break down the physiology in plain language. Skeletal muscle acts like a metabolic engine and a signaling hub, influencing inflammation and multiple body systems. We talk about lean body mass as a major site for glucose disposal, how more muscle can support healthier insulin response, and why chronic high blood sugar connects to long-term risks like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even cognitive decline. If you have ever been told cardio is “all you need,” this conversation adds a crucial missing piece for healthspan.

Then we get practical about aging. After 30, many people lose muscle each decade unless they train consistently. We connect strength training to real-life capability: getting up off the floor, carrying groceries, reacting fast enough to prevent a fall, and recovering better when illness or injury hits. We also talk about research signals like grip strength being a simple predictor tied to longevity, plus why muscle can function like a reserve of amino acids when your body is under stress.

We close with an easy starting plan: resistance training two to four times per week with weights, bodyweight movements, or bands, higher protein intake, and consistency that turns into a lifestyle. If you found this helpful, subscribe to the Frontline Health Podcast, share it with a friend who thinks strength training is not for them, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

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Transcript

Muscle As A Lifespan Predictor

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Today on the Frontline Health Podcast. If you have muscle and your lean body mass is higher, then you're going to have less likelihood of obesity because you're going to be burning fat all the time. And one of those things is we've discovered that muscle is probably the biggest site for glucose disposal. So when you eat your carbs, your muscles are going to help soak up that glucose and help use it for energy. So if you don't have much muscle, that gets stored in your blood bloodstream a little bit longer, which means you're going to have higher blood sugar, you're going to have higher insulin, which also ultimately leads to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes down the road.

SPEAKER_00 0:44

Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Frontline Health Podcast by Centurion Health, where we share health news tips and insights to help you take ownership of your health. My name is Evan Patrick. With me, Troy Duell, founder and CEO of Centurion Health. What if I told you that one of the most powerful predictors of how long you live isn't your cholesterol, your weight, or even your genetics? It's your muscle. Not just how you look, but how much muscle you actually have and how strong it is. Today we're asking a big question is muscle the organ of longevity?

SPEAKER_01 1:21

It is a great question and certainly gaining some steam out there. We've known for a while that muscle was certainly an important component in weight loss for years, but longevity studies are actually suggesting it's much more important than just strength and weight loss, which I think is a very, very intriguing topic for sure.

Why Muscle Acts Like An Organ

SPEAKER_00 1:45

All right, Troy, so let's start with this. Muscle isn't technically an organ like your liver or your heart. So why are people calling it the organ of longevity?

SPEAKER_01 1:55

Well, I think it it's kind of one of those trick questions because muscle uh certainly makes up a lot of organs. So your heart is a muscle, your stomach and intestines are muscles. So in this case, though, we're not just talking about those organs that are made of muscles, but instead we're kind of talking about skeletal muscle and how that muscle actually behaves like an organ in a lot of ways, because it's not just about moving our bodies, which is what we typically think of, or our strength, but they're also releasing signaling molecules like regulating your blood sugar and impacting inflammation. So when people are saying that it's an organ of longevity, what they really mean is that that muscle is influencing multiple systems in our body, kind of like our cardiovascular system, our immune system, our uh gut health, and it determines how long and how well you're gonna live because it affects so many of those systems by some of the things that it does.

SPEAKER_00 2:58

Troy, I grew up thinking that muscle was all about aesthetics and looks and vanity and that kind of thing. Um, I remember growing up being taught that cardiovascular exercise, you know, just walking or jogging is all that you really need to do to maintain optimal health. But even though over the course of my lifetime, we have seen a shift uh from that way of thinking to really uh building muscle being be more mainstreamed and not just something that's for bodybuilders and models.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

For sure. I think people are understanding that your muscle is a great way to survive, not just to look good and say which way to the beach. So great opportunity for us all to really start to

Muscle Mass And Blood Sugar Control

SPEAKER_01 3:40

dive into this longevity piece when it comes to muscles.

SPEAKER_00 3:44

All right, so let's start diving into some uh some specific aspects of this. So let's talk about metabolism. What does that have to do with this?

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Yeah, so metabolism, I think, goes back to what we originally thought, which if you have muscle and your lean body body mass is higher, then you're going to have less likelihood of obesity because you're going to be burning fat all the time. And one of those things is we've discovered that muscle is probably the biggest site for glucose disposal. So when you eat your carbs, your muscles are going to help soak up that glucose and help use it for energy. So if you don't have much muscle, that gets stored in your blood bloodstream a little bit longer, which means you're going to have higher blood sugar, you're going to have higher insulin, which also ultimately leads to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes down the road.

SPEAKER_00 4:36

So let me make sure I'm getting this straight. You're saying that more muscle mass means better blood sugar control.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

Absolutely, especially when you're talking about overtime, because chronic high blood sugar is tied to that heart disease, to certain cancers, and cognitive decline, along with what we already know of diabetes and obesity. So the more muscle you have, the less likely that you're going to have this chronic high blood sugar and certainly less likely to have it over time.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

Man, that's amazing. Um, another thing that I've heard people describe muscle as in this conversation is

Muscle As Your Stress Reserve

SPEAKER_00 5:15

they're they're describing it as a reserve tank for your body. So what do they mean by that?

SPEAKER_01 5:21

Yeah, I think ultimately what they're talking about is muscle is where amino acids are stored. So your protein uh that your body is able to use and draw from during stress. So if you get sick, if you get injured, or let's say you have to go to a hospital, then your body is able to break down that muscle to help it survive. So that's one of the reasons that muscle is so important because we need that protein and your body breaks it down.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

So if you don't have much muscle going into, you know, a hospitalization, an injury, an illness, you're going to be in bigger trouble than if you did have higher muscle mass.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

Yeah, I think a lot of the studies are certainly supporting that. And we've got lots of evidence to show that if you have low muscle mass when you go into an area, um, say you go into the hospital or you get sick, there are significantly worse outcomes when you're talking about recovering from that illness or hospitalization.

SPEAKER_00 6:23

All right. Um, so talking about longevity, right? That's the the term that we're that we're kind of uh couching this in. Um when we when we look at aging, you know, I have these uh these people that will pop up on my social media feed, and it's like uh a 70 plus year old man who's got bigger muscles than me as a 28-year-old male, and it uh it makes me feel really bad about myself, to be honest. Uh, but but shows me I need to to step it up. But these guys really look um look healthy and look like they're able to do a lot of things that uh that most 70-year-olds

Aging Independence And Fall Risk

SPEAKER_00 6:55

are not able to do. So uh so this is where things get real. Um let's talk about aging. How does that play into this?

SPEAKER_01 7:01

Yeah, unfortunately, we're all gonna age. We're all gonna get older. And what we know is that after about age 30, most people start to lose muscle every decade. So you're never gonna be better than you are today. Uh, 20 years down the road, you are going to lose muscle unless you really work hard in order to keep that from happening. And you've got to be consistent with your exercise routine. You've got to add in some resistance training to it and understand that it's not as you get older, it's less about strength and it's really more about building muscle and making sure that you're able to have those daily functions that you can do because that's super, super important the older you get.

SPEAKER_00 7:49

Yeah, I mean, making this really practical, um, people need to be able to think about these things, you know, as they age and to be able to answer the questions, you know, would you be able to get yourself up off the floor if you were to experience sort of a fall and be injured? Um, you know, are you able to do those things in your in your daily life that you want to be independent uh and able to do as you age, like carrying groceries? Um, can you prevent a fall, right? Are you able to to kind of respond and react if you get uh tripped up? And people don't realize um how big of a deal this actually is and how, you know, something as simple as a fall as you age can really send you down a path of um really uh de-escalating health.

SPEAKER_01 8:31

Yeah, I mean, falls are one of the leading causes of death in older adults. So it's a big deal. And the more muscle you have, the easier it is to overcome some of those things and muscle along with balance and flexibility, those are keys as we're aging to stay healthy, to stay out of the hospital and to keep going. And I think the other thing that I really like to um touch on is that the more independent we are when it comes to the ability to get up and downstairs, the ability to um be in stressful situations, which the more muscle you have, the greater likelihood you'll uh be prepared in a stressful situation. That keeps the emergency personnel, if there was a fire and you were on the top floor from having to deal with you, they can actually go and deal with people who don't have the ability to get up and down those stairs. So I think it personally is one of those things where it is one of the most selfless things you can do, which is to stay in the best health possible. Because not only do you not take on resources that somebody may need, but you also don't become a burden on those people around you because you're having to wait for somebody else to come uh help you. And there are plenty of people out there who can't help themselves. So if you have that ability, go out and really uh work on your health and stay in the best health possible so you um can be someone who contributes as opposed to takes away from society with things like that.

SPEAKER_00 10:07

You really make a great point. I mean, yeah, a lot of people would look at um, you know, working out or fitness um as being something that is selfish. Um, but really what you're saying is it's something that not only allows us to not be a burden on others, uh, but it also allows us to help other people and be something that we can steward as a gift that we're using selflessly. And so um I really want to want to just drive that point home because I think it's so true. And I think it's very easy for people to um, you know, talk themselves out of specific things they know they should be doing for their health because they think that they're being selfless, you know. And and and some of that is true, right? I mean, I don't have kids, but there are people who have little kids and they're waking up in the morning and taking care of them. Um, they're putting them to bed at night, but even still, um people need to be able to find ways in time to take care of their health so that they can be there for others. Um, and not only be there for your kids, be there for your grandkids, um, be there for for your family for as long as possible. Um, it's really a very selfless thing.

SPEAKER_01 11:12

Yeah, I think it goes back to the same thing we hear on every time you get on an airplane, if the oxygen mass comes down, they say to put it on yourself first because you can't help somebody else if you're panicking and you don't have any oxygen. So it's the

Research Evidence And Grip Strength

SPEAKER_01 11:25

the same principle, and that's hopefully what we're trying to get across to people uh when we're talking about this particular subject as well.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

Yeah, so we've we've talked about uh a couple of specific benefits, right? We've talked about how muscle helps with metabolic health, um, how it helps with aging, you know, preventing falls, that kind of thing. But what does the research actually say um when it comes to longevity? Uh is there actual evidence in studies that we point to where we go, yeah, muscle actually is uh a big indicator of longevity?

SPEAKER_01 11:57

Yeah, there's several of them out there. I think uh some of the ones that we can highlight is we know that higher muscle mass has been associated with lower all call all-cause mortality for people uh in studies. We know that grip strength is a strong predictor of lifespan, and that people who have more muscle tend to have better, I mean, go figure, better cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes. So they're gonna be healthier overall because they have more muscle mass. Uh, and the more muscle mass you have, then uh the return is going to be exponential when you're talking about your body systems.

SPEAKER_00 12:36

Yeah, and that grip strength is uh is a really interesting one that's super simple. Um, I mean, is this just because people are able to open their own pickle jars or what's going on here?

SPEAKER_01 12:44

Yeah, I mean, I think uh maybe that's it. They don't they don't drop plates near as often either. So I think that could be a big part of it as well. But uh I think overall what they're talking about is if you've got good grip strength, more than likely you're doing something other than just gripping things on a regular basis. Yeah, and you're probably working out to make sure that your whole body is uh in shape and that helps with your overall muscle function.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

Yeah, that's good. Well, for those of you guys who are are listening and not uh not watching this on YouTube, Troy and

Simple Plan To Build Muscle

SPEAKER_00 13:20

I are both um both jacked individuals. Um Troy is actually flexing his muscles right now on camera.

SPEAKER_01 13:27

Absolutely. Absolutely. Which way to the beach? That's what he's yeah, supposed to be. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 13:32

He grew up in used to to strutting on the beach and uh and showing those muscles off. Um, but let's make this practical. So someone's listening and they're going, okay, you know, I'm convinced uh maybe I wasn't a believer in you know how important muscle, you know, building muscle as I age is for not only my own health, but my ability to be there for those around me and to um to help others, what do they actually need to do and how can they actually start to um build and maintain muscle?

SPEAKER_01 14:00

Yeah, I think there are probably three things if we were to get it down to practical pieces. The first is start resistance training. You don't have to be one of those who's asking which way to the beach all the time. So you don't have to be a bodybuilder, but you do need to get in the gym and really push some weights. You don't even have to get in the gym. You can do push-ups, pull-ups, you can uh lift things around the house, but you need to be doing it about two to four times per week. And that's a good way to start because you're gonna help build those muscles and really start um seeing some benefits from having extra muscle built in your body. The second thing would be increase your protein intake because we know muscles are a uh large portion of protein, and you want to get your protein intake up to about uh one gram per pound of body weight. Um, so go somebody who's much better at math can figure out how many that would be for for each individual listening. But uh if you stick it one gram per pound of body weight, that makes it somewhat uh easier because you can tell how much you weigh, and then ultimately just be consistent with it. So you don't want to do this for one week, two weeks, three weeks. You want to turn it into a lifestyle with the things that you're eating and what you're doing from an exercise routine on a regular basis because the longer you can do that and the more resistance training you do, the greater the benefits will be over time.

SPEAKER_00 15:27

That's so good, Troy, because that's so simple. Um, a lot of times we really can overcomplicate things when we are talking about building muscle, um, but it but it really is that simple. You know, you mentioned um resistance training. Uh people can just do bodyweight things. Another simple thing that I think is great for people is just one piece of equipment, a kettlebell. If you have one kettlebell, you know, you can do squats, you can um do rows, you can, I mean, just do all kinds of, you can hit every every muscle group that you have. And it doesn't take as long as people, as I think people think that it does. Like you if you get in two to four good 15 to 20 minute sessions per week, you can get a lot done uh in a in a short amount of time. And so yeah, I think um starting is the hardest part and um just being consistent and and people will be amazed if they really do stick to it at uh at how much better they'll feel and um how much it'll improve their health.

SPEAKER_01 16:23

Totally agree. And I I don't even think you have to start with a kettlebell. You can get some resistance bands or something even easier because that's ultimately all you're trying to do is just do something, I guess is the the key. And uh we've seen benefit from studies

Bulky Fears And Cardio Myth

SPEAKER_01 16:40

in whatever you do, as long as there's some sort of resistance training there.

SPEAKER_00 16:45

Absolutely. So uh on this note, why don't we clear up a couple of those uh misconceptions? What's what are some big misconceptions people have around uh putting on muscle?

SPEAKER_01 16:55

Yeah, I think uh one of them is I don't want to get bulky. I don't want to be the guy that's uh out on the beach and can't move his arms or can't scratch his head because uh his muscles have gotten too big. Well, A, that really isn't that great for you. So we're we're talking about keeping things in moderation. So that is not where the benefit comes from with those big bulky muscles. But you also have to be super intentional to get to that level, and you have to change your diet in many ways, and you have to change your routine. So for the most part, people aren't going to get huge like that without um having some system to get to that level. So start your resistance training. Don't worry about becoming the next Arnold Schwarzenegger and um just get it done because that's the key.

SPEAKER_00 17:45

I think that's a big one, especially for women who might be hesitant to to weight training uh or strength training. Uh it's not gonna happen. They everybody wants to look toned, right? Well, the way that you look toned is you build more muscle and you have less fat. And so you're not gonna get to that bodybuilder status uh unless you really, really, really committed to it. Um, another one that I I think uh we kind of started with this, people think cardio is enough.

SPEAKER_01 18:11

Yeah, I think that's one that most of us have had that uh misconception when it comes to health. We think that if I'm gonna walk or run or do anything like that, we'll lose more weight. The truth is you don't lose more weight that way. It actually puts a greater strain on your body. While you do need some cardio, uh, we've seen that from a longevity standpoint and from weight loss standpoint, really dealing with this resistance training seems to be the way to go. And it has much greater benefits if you combine the two. And you've got a little bit of cardio with more consistent uh resistance training. You've got great long-term results with that.

SPEAKER_00 18:54

Well, that's awesome.

Ownership Mindset And Closing CTAs

SPEAKER_00 18:55

Um, what all of this is getting at is kind of one of the core things, or really, probably the core principle of this show that we talk about is taking ownership of your health. Um, and you know, we're talking about building muscle for the sake of your longevity and for the sake of your long-term health. It doesn't happen by accident.

SPEAKER_01 19:13

Uh, that is for sure. And I think it goes back to everything we've talked about, which is exercise and diet and becoming a life cycle, uh a lifestyle that you're trying to pull on every single day. And just start small, start with those little habits by changing something in your diet today and starting one exercise routine today. Maybe it's you know five push-ups, five sit-ups, whatever it is, uh, to start something and then make it consistent. And I think that's the way you start to make changes in your life overall.

SPEAKER_00 19:52

So let's land this plane, Troy. Uh, the question that we're answering, and I think we've answered it. Is muscle the organ of longevity?

SPEAKER_01 20:00

I think it's definitely one of the key components when you're talking about longevity. It's not the main driver, but I think it is one of the important drivers when you talk about longevity in and of itself. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 20:16

Well, there you go, people. We have answered the question. Uh, any other thoughts you want to leave our listeners with today?

SPEAKER_01 20:23

No, I think obviously we've talked about it, but start just start with some resistance training. Do one day a week, if that's what it takes, and then get it on the calendar and make it happen. And the sooner you do that, the better off you're gonna be.

SPEAKER_00 20:39

Awesome. Well, to our listeners, if this episode got you thinking, uh share it with someone who needs to hear it, especially someone who thinks that strength training just isn't for them. Uh, and if you want more practical health insights like this, make sure that you are subscribed to the Frontline Health Podcast. Thanks for listening to this episode. Go out and take ownership of your health because you are your best health advocate. We'll see you next time. If you enjoyed what you heard today on the podcast, please consider subscribing and leaving us a review. We would love to hear your comments or questions about anything we've talked about on the show. For more health news, tips, and insights, follow us at Centurion Health on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube. And for safe, effective, and affordable healthcare products made in the USA to help you elevate your health in life, visit centurion.health. We look forward to you joining us next time on the Frontline Health Podcast by Centurion.