Staying healthy and feeling your best is important at any age and something we all aim to achieve. Many find it easy to continue living an active life while others look for a little extra help from food, supplements or different fitness activities to prolong their lifespan.

As we age, our bodies alter in ways that are hardly noticeable. One such change is the gradual loss of muscle mass. This is likely to start in your 40’s with studies showing that 3-8% can be lost every decade (1). Less muscle means less strength (2) so while you might not expect to continue to hit your personal best in the gym or at training, the consequences of being weaker - such as less mobility or the risk of falls or fractures - is something you’ll want to avoid.

Declining muscle mass can be down to various factors, including simple lifestyle changes.  For instance, we tend not to be as physically active as we age. Older adults may also not eat as much (1, 3, 4) so might therefore get less protein. Anabolic resistance can be another factor too. This is when our body does not respond as well to the protein in our food (2-5) so the signals to build or maintain muscle can become muted.

The good news is there’s a lot you can do to slow down this decline and it’s never too late to rebuild muscle and maintain it.

First of all, it’s important to be as active as you can.  Exercise is one of the biggest stimuli for maintaining muscle mass as you age (6). Therefore, whatever age you are, the recommendation is to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day and include some strength training (4, 7). A combination of strength, endurance and balancing exercise has been shown to slow down muscle mass decline (8).

Secondly, ensure your total daily protein intake meets your needs. Recommendations for older people are higher than for other adults. They require 1-1.2 g of protein per kg of bodyweight, which is 70 - 84 g per day for an aging person weighing 70 kg (1-4, 9). Studies show that the elderly benefit from that extra protein in their diet, especially when combined with exercise(10, 11). Getting sufficient of it however is not the only challenge. For older adults, it’s important to plan protein intake evenly (2) throughout the day, ideally 20-30g each meal (2, 4, 5, 12) - even consuming a proportion before bedtime (13, 14). This keeps the muscle maintenance process functioning properly.

Consuming protein isn’t only great for your muscles, it’s also excellent for tackling other age-related changes too. Protein supports the maintenance of vital bone mass which declines with age as well (15-17).  A diet rich in both high-quality animal and plant-based protein can support bone health (15).  Aging is also associated with lower energy so the risk of gaining weight might be higher (18). Ensuring you have more protein can play a beneficial role in weight management too (19-22).

So, the key to staying strong, fit and self-sufficient, regardless of how old you are, is to take plenty of exercise, consume the right amount of protein and make sure you’re getting enough vitamins and minerals.

References

• Paddon-Jones D, Campbell WW, Jacques PF, Kritchevsky SB, Moore LL, Rodriguez NR, et al. Protein and healthy aging. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2015;101(6):1339S-45S.
• Lonnie M, Hooker E, Brunstrom JM, Corfe BM, Green MA, Watson AW, et al. Protein for life: Review of optimal protein intake, sustainable dietary sources and the effect on appetite in ageing adults. Nutrients. 2018;10(3):360.
• Deutz NE, Bauer JM, Barazzoni R, Biolo G, Boirie Y, Bosy-Westphal A, et al. Protein intake and exercise for optimal muscle function with aging: recommendations from the ESPEN Expert Group. Clinical nutrition. 2014;33(6):929-36.
• Bauer J, Biolo G, Cederholm T, Cesari M, Cruz-Jentoft AJ, Morley JE, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. Journal of the american Medical Directors association. 2013;14(8):542-59.
• Moore DR, Churchward-Venne TA, Witard O, Breen L, Burd NA, Tipton KD, et al. Protein ingestion to stimulate myofibrillar protein synthesis requires greater relative protein intakes in healthy older versus younger men. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biomedical Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2015;70(1):57-62.
• Naseeb MA, Volpe SL. Protein and exercise in the prevention of sarcopenia and aging. Nutr Res. 2017;40:1-20.
• WHO. Global recommendations on physical activity for health: World Health Organization; 2010.
• Martínez-Velilla N, Casas-Herrero A, Zambom-Ferraresi F, Sáez de Asteasu ML, Lucia A, Galbete A, et al. Effect of Exercise Intervention on Functional Decline in Very Elderly Patients During Acute Hospitalization: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2019;179(1):28-36.
• Campbell WW, Trappe TA, Wolfe RR, Evans WJ. The recommended dietary allowance for protein may not be adequate for older people to maintain skeletal muscle. The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2001;56(6):M373-M80.
• Mertz KH, Reitelseder S, Bechshoeft R, Bulow J, Højfeldt G, Jensen M, et al. The effect of daily protein supplementation, with or without resistance training for 1 year, on muscle size, strength, and function in healthy older adults: A randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021;113(4):790-800.
• Tieland M, Franssen R, Dullemeijer C, van Dronkelaar C, Kim HK, Ispoglou T, et al. The impact of dietary protein or amino acid supplementation on muscle mass and strength in elderly people: Individual participant data and meta-analysis of RCT’s. The journal of nutrition, health & aging. 2017;21(9):994-1001.
• Cardon-Thomas DK, Riviere T, Tieges Z, Greig CA. Dietary Protein in Older Adults: Adequate Daily Intake but Potential for Improved Distribution. Nutrients. 2017;9(3).
• Holwerda AM, Kouw IW, Trommelen J, Halson SL, Wodzig WK, Verdijk LB, et al. Physical Activity Performed in the Evening Increases the Overnight Muscle Protein Synthetic Response to Presleep Protein Ingestion in Older Men. J Nutr. 2016;146(7):1307-14.
• Holwerda AM, Trommelen J, Kouw IWK, Senden JM, Goessens JPB, van Kranenburg J, et al. Exercise Plus Presleep Protein Ingestion Increases Overnight Muscle Connective Tissue Protein Synthesis Rates in Healthy Older Men. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2021;31(3):217-26.
• Shams-White MM, Chung M, Fu Z, Insogna KL, Karlsen MC, LeBoff MS, et al. Animal versus plant protein and adult bone health: A systematic review and meta-analysis from the National Osteoporosis Foundation. PLOS ONE. 2018;13(2):e0192459.