Amount of Protein Required to Improve Muscle Mass in Older Adults

Increased protein intake has been suggested as an effective strategy to treat age-related loss of muscle mass and function, but the amount of protein required to improve muscle and function without exercise in older adults remains unclear. Thus, this secondary data analysis aimed to assess what amount of protein from habitual protein intake was positively associated with changes in muscle mass and gait speed in older women and men. Ninety-six community-dwelling older adults consumed 0.8, 1.2, or 1.5 g/kg/day of protein and maintained their usual physical activity for 12 weeks. Increased protein intake of >0.54 g/kg/day was positively associated with changes in appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM)/weight (B = 0.591, p = 0.026), ASM/body mass index (B = 0.615, p = 0.023), and ASM:fat ratio (B = 0.509, p = 0.030) in older men. However, change in protein intake was not associated with change in muscle mass in older women. Additionally, change in protein intake was not associated with change in gait speed in older women and men. The present study suggested that an increased absolute protein amount of >0.54 g/kg/day from habitual protein intake was positively associated with change in muscle mass in older men.