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Protein intake and muscle function in older adults
1aSealy Center on Aging bDepartment of Internal Medicine cDepartment of Nutrition and Metabolism, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.
Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care
|March 26, 2015
Summary
Optimal protein intake for older adults may exceed the standard recommendation. Timing and distribution of protein consumption are crucial for muscle health and may be as important as total quantity.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nutritional Science
- Muscle Physiology
Background:
- Sarcopenia, the age-related loss of muscle mass and function, poses significant health risks.
- Current Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein (0.8 g/kg body weight) may be insufficient for older adults.
- Emerging research highlights the importance of protein for muscle health in aging populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in nutrition research concerning protein intake for sarcopenia.
- To update on the role of protein in the development and treatment of age-related sarcopenia.
- To evaluate current protein recommendations for older adults.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent nutrition research.
- Analysis of consensus statements and scientific evidence.
- Synthesis of findings on protein intake, timing, and muscle metabolism.
Main Results:
- Established cut-points for diagnosing sarcopenia based on muscle mass, strength, and function.
- Growing consensus suggests the 0.8 g/kg/day protein RDA is inadequate for optimal aging.
- Both total daily protein intake and its distribution throughout the day are critical for muscle protein synthesis and maintenance.
Conclusions:
- Current protein RDA is likely insufficient for older adults.
- Protein timing and distribution across meals are as important as total intake for muscle health.
- Further long-term randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm the sustained benefits of dietary protein on muscle mass, function, and overall health in aging.
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