How to Assess the Protein Needs of Older Adults

As you enter your golden years, your protein needs become more important to maintain health and function. A recent analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that many Americans over the age of 50 do not meet the recommended daily intake of protein.¹ This deficiency puts you at risk for many health problems, especially as you age.

The study examined protein intake, associated dietary patterns, and physical activity in adults age 51 and older, shedding light on the importance of adequate protein intake for healthy aging.

But optimizing protein intake is important, as consuming too much or too little can be problematic. Eating too much protein can affect your kidney health and homocysteine ​​levels. But if you eat too little, there’s a risk of age-related sarcopenia, characterized by loss of muscle mass and function and frailty.²

The important role of protein in your body

You may not think about it often, but proteins are working tirelessly in your body every moment of the day. These amazing molecules are essential for building and repairing your tissues, including your muscles and organs. They are also important for the proper functioning of your enzymes, hormones, and parts of your immune system. But what exactly are proteins made of?

They are made up of smaller units called amino acids, some of which your body cannot produce on its own. These “essential” amino acids must come from your diet, which is why it’s important to consume protein-rich foods like meat, eggs, and dairy products. By ensuring a varied diet of these protein sources, you are providing your body with the building blocks it needs to function properly.

When you eat protein, your body simply does not absorb it completely. Instead, it breaks down the protein into individual amino acids. As discussed in Osmosis from the Elsevier Education Forum,³ These amino acids are converted into new proteins in your body.

These newly formed proteins perform many functions, from fighting infections to helping your cells divide. Basically, a protein is like a string of beads, each bead representing an amino acid. These strings are then twisted and folded into complex shapes, giving each protein its own unique structure and function.

Most amino acids have a central carbon atom attached to an amino group, a carboxylic acid group, a hydrogen atom, and a unique side chain. This is why they are called amino acids.

20 amino acids that your body needs

Although nature produces hundreds of amino acids, your body uses only about 20 to make each protein it needs. These 20 proteins include:

Each of these amino acids plays a role in your body’s functions. example – leucine It is important for muscle growth and maintenance. But not all amino acids are created equal when it comes to your nutritional needs. Some of the 20 amino acids your body uses are considered non-essential because your body produces them on its own. These include alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and serine.

However, don’t let the term “non-essential” fool you – these amino acids are still vital to your health. They are simply called non-essential because you don’t need to get them directly from your diet. On the other hand, there are nine essential amino acids that your body cannot produce: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.

You need to get these from the foods you eat, which is why a varied, protein-rich diet is so important.

There is a third category of amino acids that falls between essential and non-essential: conditionally essential amino acids. These include arginine, cysteine, glutamine, glycine, proline and tyrosine. Normally, your body produces these amino acids. However, during times of pain, stress, or intense exercise, your body’s ability to produce these amino acids may not be sufficient to meet your needs.

In these cases, it becomes important to use these amino acids in your diet. That’s why your protein needs to change based on your age, health, and activity level.

An interesting fact about the protein diet in adults

You might think that most Americans simply meet or exceed it. Protein requirementsBut the data tells a different story. Between 31 percent and 50 percent of older adults don’t even meet the conservatively recommended protein intake of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.⁴

The problem becomes more obvious with age, as the probability of receiving protein recommendations decreases in older groups. This trend is particularly troubling because it coincides with the age range when sarcopenia is most prevalent. It’s not just your muscles that suffer if you don’t meet your protein needs.

The study found that adults who do not meet protein recommendations are more likely to have low intakes of many nutrients.⁵ These include fiber, various B vitamins, choline, vitamins C, A, D, E and K, as well as important minerals such as zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and selenium. Most of these are considered public health substances due to their low consumption. This nutrient deficiency has a major impact on your health.

For example, zinc deficiency weakens the body’s immune system and slows wound healing—issues that worsen with age. The combination of low protein and micronutrient deficiencies can increase your risk of age-related problems such as falls, pressure ulcers, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, and even premature death.

The relationship between proteins and physical functions

Your ability to perform daily activities is closely related to your protein intake. The study found a positive association between recommended protein intake and self-reported physical activity.

If you don’t meet your protein needs, you may experience limitations in activities of daily living such as bending, stooping, kneeling, standing or sitting for long periods of time, walking upstairs, preparing meals, and walking a quarter mile.⁶

These findings are consistent with other studies showing that high-protein diets improve exercise performance, particularly in activities such as walking, stair climbing, and lifting heavy objects.⁷ While current research doesn’t prove the cause, it does suggest that ensuring adequate protein intake plays a role in maintaining your independence and quality of life as you age.

Benefits of increasing protein intake for adults

Epidemiological and experimental evidence supports the idea that, in some cases, older adults may benefit from protein intakes exceeding the current Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA).

A seminal study in Health, Aging, and Body Composition Research found that community-dwelling older adults who consumed about 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day had 40% less muscle tissue in their arms and legs after three years. Compared to those who eat 0.8 grams per kilogram.⁸

Similar findings were seen in two independent cohorts from the Women’s Health Initiative and the Framingham Offspring Study, where a protein intake of approximately 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight was associated with better strength maintenance.⁹ Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have shown that protein intakes higher than the RDA are associated with improved physical activity and reduced risk of sarcopenia in older adults.¹⁰

These findings have led several expert groups to make updated dietary recommendations to maintain body mass and improve function in aging, suggesting a daily protein intake of at least 1 to 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight for healthy older adults.¹¹

Finding your protein sweet spot

So, how do you determine the right amount of protein for your body? Research shows that both too little and too much protein can harm muscle health. Although low protein intake (less than 0.8 g per kg of body weight per day) was associated with a lower risk of lower muscle mass, overall it did not provide significant protection against sarcopenia. In this study, the optimal range was between 0.8 and 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

As a rule of thumb, protein should make up about 15% of your daily calories. It should be about one third or 5% of this protein. Collagen. Specifically, most adults need 0.8 grams of protein per pound of ideal body weight (the weight you should be, not necessarily your current weight) or 1.76 grams of protein per kilogram for Europeans.

So, while the usual recommendation is 0.8 grams per pound of total body weight, my recommendation is 0.8 grams per pound of ideal body weight – including the elderly. This will be much higher than the standard recommendation.

To determine your ideal body weight, you need to know your body weight. Take your current weight and calculate your body fat percentage. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds and have 20% body fat, your body fat mass is 128 pounds (160 x 0.8). Multiply that by 0.8 and you’ve got your daily protein goal: 102.4 grams.

This may sound like a lot, but spread it over your food, and it’s totally doable. If you eat three meals a day, aim for 33 grams per meal. In another example, if your actual weight is 135 pounds, your protein requirement would be 108 grams. Divided into two meals, it will be 54 grams per meal. For reference, there are approximately 7 grams of protein in each steak, so a 5-ounce steak will give you 35 grams of high-quality protein.

For children, the average amount per meal is 5 to 10 grams, while young adults can typically lose 20 grams per meal. For most normal-weight adults, 30 grams per meal is the minimum you need to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Consider factors such as your age, activity level, and overall health to find your personal protein sweet spot.

A matter of quality and time: Optimizing protein intake

When it comes to protein intake, quality and timing are just as important as quantity. Protein quality is sometimes defined using the Digestible Essential Amino Acid Score (DIAAS), which measures the systemic bioavailability of essential amino acids from certain foods, mixed foods, or supplements.

Most animal feed sources provide very good quality protein (DIAAS ≥100), while whey falls into the high quality category (DIAAS = 75-99). Leucine content is a key factor in protein quality as it stimulates muscle protein synthesis by activating certain signaling pathways. To maximize muscle health, some experts recommend eating 25 to 30 grams of high-quality protein with at least 2.5 grams of leucine per meal.¹²

Your diet is also important, with current recommendations encouraging older adults to spread their protein intake evenly across meals rather than concentrating it all at once. Additionally, consuming protein-rich foods in close proximity to exercise routines, especially resistance training, improves muscle anabolic responses and supports overall muscle health.¹³

While optimizing your protein intake is important, it’s only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to maintaining muscle health and strength as you age. Other factors are also associated with muscle strength and sarcopenia, including physical activity, overall nutritional quality, and diversity of the gut microbiome. A holistic approach to healthy aging is best for maintaining muscle mass and function.

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