When it comes to protein, we at EnergyFirst admit we might sound like a broken record. As we mentioned in the previous article, Why We Need Protein?, it is part of every cell in the body and has SO many important roles.
We talk about consuming enough protein, consuming quality protein, and we like to always emphasize spreading it out evenly throughout the day!
Protein becomes even more important as you age, especially after the age of 50.
Sarcopenia
The term sarcopenia originates from a Greek word that translates as "loss of flesh" ("sarco" = flesh and "penia" = deficiency). It is a condition associated with aging in which skeletal muscle mass declines and strength along with it.
It's a slow process. It starts out with muscle mass decreasing approximately 3-8% per decade after 30 years of age. The rate accelerates to about 1.4-2.5% per year after the age of 60, however.
It is also impartial, affecting even healthy, active individuals that eat healthy diets.
Unfortunately, this results in a reduction in the ability to perform functional activities of everyday living, exercise and sports, and thus it can significantly reduce quality of life.
To illustrate how drastic its effects can be, young adults typically have up to 50% of their total body weight as lean muscle mass. This decreases to only about 25% of total body weight by the age of 75-80 years. As a result, metabolism can decrease by about 30% from 20 years of age to 70 years.
There are many suggestions as to why this occurs: aging muscle may lose its ability to respond to anabolic (fancy word for building) stimuli, such as growth hormone, insulin, or an amino acid supply. Higher inflammation may also play a role in muscle breakdown. Part of the problem may be a reduction in physical activity, which stimulates muscle building. Finally, a diet poor in protein may play a role.
Combating Sarcopenia
In the past, it was believed that older adults needed less protein as they aged to prevent bone loss and excessive strain on the kidneys. Now, the scientific literature is demonstrating that older adults can benefit from more protein than they needed during their younger years. One of the benefits is, yes, combating sarcopenia.
Another way to overcome the problems associated with sarcopenia is coupling a high-quality protein-rich diet with regular physical activity, especially resistance exercise (weight lifting, push-ups, etc).
How much protein, then?
The Food and Nutrition Board's recommendation, the RDA (recommended daily allowance), is 0.8 grams of protein/kg of body weight per day for all adults over 18 years of age, including elderly adults over the age of 65. This number was based on all available evidence that estimate the minimum protein necessary to avoid loss of muscle mass. However, even the Food and Nutrition Board recognizes a difference between the RDA level (adequate) and a level of protein that would be optimal.
So what would be the optimal amount?
Well, a group of experts in sarcopenia was formed by The Society for Sarcopenia, Cachexia, and Wasting Disease. They provided an updated recommendation. Evidence from research they analyzed led them to recommend as much as 1-1.5 g of protein/kg of body weight per day for most people over the age of 65. Thats a whopping 25-50% increase from the RDA. It makes good sense to apply this even to most adults over the age of 50, although recommendations are limited on the age range of 50-65. These recommendations can pan out to about 23-34 grams per meal for a person who weighs 150 lbs.
The expert panel made it a point to emphasize that the total daily protein intake must be equally spread out between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
Good Protein Options
It is definitely necessary to make a conscientious effort to increase the amount of protein and eat enough throughout the day. Few people actually meed even the minimum RDA requirement. Of course, before modifying or increasing your protein intake, consult with your doctor or a dietitian, especially if you have any health issues such as kidney problems.
Whey protein isolate is a great option. It provides the ideal amount of amino acids most propotional to those found in muscles. It is also rich in leucine. What's so special about leucine? It is one of the three branched chain amino acids that have shown to be crucial for boosting muscle protein formation. A 2020 review of evidence up until now concluded that a daily supplementation of 35 grams of whey is likely to improve sarcopenia in older adults
Then, there are the obvious protein sources, including beef, lamb, poultry, pork, fish, eggs, milk and milk products. Plant-based protein sources include beans, split peas, and lentils, nuts, and seeds.
If you find that you need to increase your protein intake and you're in the clear with your doctor, try to take each meal and snack and think of one way you can boost its protein content. For example,
• Take that salad and add cheese, beans, lentils, or hard-boiled eggs.
• Add cheese to your veggies or potatoes
• Add your favorite nut butter to your fruit (or use it as a dip), in your smoothies, or on crackers, toast, or sandwiches
• Take your casserole recipes and add more cheese, beans, nuts, seeds, wheat germ or even powdered milk.
• Add nuts, nut butter, whey protein powder, or powdered milk to your oatmeal or mix it into your regular milk of choice.
• Top your fruit with nut butters, wheat germ, nuts, seeds, Greek or Icelandic yogurt.
• Add beans or cheese to your rice or noodle dishes
• Supplement your diet with a whey protein isolate shake
• Mix in some powdered milk into your mashed potatoes
• Protein up your soups with beans, lentils, cheese, or powdered milk for cream soups.
References
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Baum, J. I., Kim, I. Y., & Wolfe, R. R. (2016). Protein Consumption and the Elderly: What Is the Optimal Level of Intake?. Nutrients, 8(6), 359. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8060359
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Witard, O. C., Wardle, S. L., Macnaughton, L. S., Hodgson, A. B., & Tipton, K. D. (2016). Protein Considerations for Optimising Skeletal Muscle Mass in Healthy Young and Older Adults. Nutrients, 8(4), 181. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8040181
Gilmartin, S., O'Brien, N., & Giblin, L. (2020). Whey for Sarcopenia; Can Whey Peptides, Hydrolysates or Proteins Play a Beneficial Role?. Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 9(6), 750. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9060750
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