Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance means that insulin-sensitive tissues do not respond as effectively to insulin. The body may compensate by producing more insulin before blood glucose becomes persistently elevated.
In-Depth Guide in Development
UNDERSTAND MY HEALTH
Metabolic Health After 60
What Part of My Health Am I Improving?
Metabolic Health is your body’s energy-management system. Explore insulin sensitivity, blood glucose, visceral fat, metabolic syndrome, body composition and the lifestyle factors that help protect metabolic resilience after 60.
Why This Matters After 60
Healthy ageing is not about one number, one exercise or one food. This hub brings together the explanations, practical actions and evidence connected with Metabolic Health.
Understand → Improve → Measure
Use the resources below to understand the topic, connect it with the relevant parts of the OVER 60s QoL Guys system and identify useful next steps. Measurement should support better decisions — not simply collect numbers.
Explore Metabolic Health
THE BIG PICTURE
Understanding Metabolic Health After 60
Metabolic health describes how effectively your body manages and uses energy. It includes the way you respond to insulin, regulate blood glucose, store and mobilise fat, maintain healthy body composition and coordinate energy use across organs and tissues.
After 60, metabolic health matters not simply because of a number on a blood test. It is closely connected with muscle, cardiovascular health, energy, physical capability and the risk of several chronic conditions. Ageing itself does not make poor metabolic health inevitable, but changes in muscle mass and activity, body-fat distribution, sleep, diet, medication, illness and other factors can alter metabolic resilience.
What Changes With Age?
Ageing can be accompanied by lower physical activity, loss of skeletal muscle, changes in where fat is stored and reduced physiological reserve. These changes can interact with insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation. Visceral and ectopic fat, muscle quality and chronic low-grade inflammation are among the factors being studied in age-related metabolic change.
Why Muscle Matters
Skeletal muscle is a major site of glucose disposal and an important metabolic organ. Protecting muscle through appropriate resistance training, adequate nutrition and regular movement therefore supports more than physical strength. Research in adults aged 60 and over shows that resistance training can improve insulin-sensitivity-related outcomes, although effects vary between populations and programmes.
Key Metabolic Concepts to Understand
Visceral Fat
Visceral fat is stored around organs within the abdominal cavity. Excess visceral adiposity is associated with cardiometabolic risk and is different from the subcutaneous fat stored beneath the skin.
In-Depth Guide in DevelopmentHbA1c
HbA1c reflects average glucose exposure over roughly the previous two to three months. It is useful, but it is not a direct measurement of insulin resistance and can be affected by some medical conditions.
In-Depth Guide in DevelopmentWaist-to-Height Ratio
Waist-to-height ratio is a simple screening measure of central adiposity. It can add useful context, but it should not be treated as a diagnosis or as a complete picture of metabolic health.
In-Depth Guide in DevelopmentWhat Can You Work On?
Metabolic health is influenced by several parts of the OVER 60s QoL Guys system. Important levers include regular physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, progressive strength training, nutrition, sustainable management of excess body fat, sleep and consistent daily habits. The best starting point depends on your current health, capability, medication and clinical context.
What Should You Measure?
No single number defines metabolic health. Useful measures can include waist circumference or waist-to-height ratio, body weight and body-composition trends, blood pressure, HbA1c and other laboratory measures when clinically appropriate. Measurements are most useful when they improve decisions rather than simply create more data.
Important: The OVER 60s QoL Guys provides health education, not diagnosis or individual medical treatment. Abnormal glucose, blood pressure or other clinical results should be discussed with an appropriate healthcare professional. Do not change prescribed medication because of information on this website.
Turn Knowledge Into Action
The Whole Body Health Assessment helps you look across health, capability and daily behaviour so you can identify strengths, gaps and priorities.
Start the Whole Body Health AssessmentEducational information only. The assessment and website do not diagnose disease or replace individual medical care.