Why do we lose muscle as we age—and how much of that decline can strength training prevent?

Dr. Natasha Barnes is a former national champion climber, elite powerlifter, and clinician who has spent years helping athletes get stronger, recover from injury, and keep performing over time.

In this conversation, Natasha explains why strength training becomes increasingly important with age, what happens to muscle mass after 30, and why maintaining strength may be one of the most important things we can do for long-term physical performance.

We also cover:

• Why muscle loss accelerates as we get older
• How strength training helps preserve muscle and performance
• Why older adults may need more protein—not less
• The role of sleep, nutrition, stress, and training load in recovery
• Why many aches, pains, and injuries don’t require you to stop training
• When mobility work actually matters—and when it may be unnecessary
• How Natasha became stronger and more athletic in her 40s than she was when she was younger

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Ageless Athlete is a podcast about healthy aging for people who want to stay strong, active and capable for life. Conversations explore strength, endurance, mobility, recovery, VO2 max, muscle and bone health, and what it takes to keep doing the things you love as you get older.

Follow Ageless Athlete — How to Stay Strong, Curious & Capable for Life for new episodes each week.