- Regular protein consumption is associated with keeping good muscle strength especially in old age.
- A teaspoon of high protein food like peanut butter or an egg is enough per meal to provide the necessary amount. About three times a day is the recommendation.
- Loss of protein occurs regularly so maintaining a constant input helps maintain muscle mass
Muscle strength in the elderly disappears as they get older. We’ve always been aware that this happens because we lose muscle strength. We simply cannot move as rapidly or as confidently as we used to. The effect increases more markedly and rapidly the older we become. The condition is known as sarcopenia which is a more clinical term for muscle atrophy and loss begins as early as our mid-30s.
Muscle atrophy is one of the most serious health issues affecting people over the age of 40. Estimates are that from age 50, we lose or even exceed 1 per cent of our muscle every year. The loss is even more marked with increasing levels of inactivity. The muscle wasting condition affects over a third of the population over the age of 70.
Roughly twice as many women are affected by sarcopenia compared to men. The processes of muscle atrophy appears to begin earlier too for women. From a diet point of view, obesity, especially morbid obesity not only produces greater muscle loss, it also hastens onset. People as young as 18 show symptoms of this so there is a need to not only keep weight off but also exercise more frequently, and be mindful that muscle loss occurs from our teens onwards.
Jeremy Watson M.D. stated from his article ‘Sarcopenia In Older Adults’ which was published in the 2012 ‘Current Opinion in Rheumatology’ (Watson, 20)that:-
“Although no consensus diagnosis has been reached, sarcopenia is increasingly defined by both loss of muscle mass and loss of muscle function or strength. Its cause is widely regarded as multifactorial, with neurological decline, hormonal changes, inflammatory pathway activation, declines in activity, chronic illness, fatty infiltration, and poor nutrition all shown to be contributing factors” .
Some evidence for retaining muscle strength is suggested by replacing lost protein through regular periodic consumption of proteins throughout the day. Protein consumed three times per day is suggested and the amount need only be that of an egg or a spoonful of peanut butter.
The current recommendations for protein consumption state that we need :-
- 1.2g of protein per 1kg body weight every day.
For a man or woman who is 70kg (155lb), this is about 85g of protein spread over the whole day.
The Study
Research at Montreal’s McGill University led by Stephanie Chevalier examined 827 men and 914 women, all aged between 67 and 84 for three years. The study is known as the Quebec Longitudinal study on Nutrition (NuAge study).
Each person’s muscle strength was measured using their ability to grip and their leg and arm strength. Mobility was assessed by their walking speed and ability to stand up from their seat.
The diet of the participants was recorded over two 24-hour periods and protein levels were determined.
Regular Protein Consumption Builds Muscle
Eating protein to build muscle up may seem obvious when you look at body builders but establishing the associations, even the evidence for this has not been as obvious as the results in this study. The body regularly breaks down muscles and if the building blocks such as the amino-acids in protein are not available, that muscle cannot be rebuilt readily and properly.
Gender as well as age is associated with the success of muscle replacement and how it impacts movement and strength. Men appear to benefit a bit more than women from eating protein regularly especially in terms of their mobility. However, women still retain muscle mass with a healthy diet and plenty of protein. The research does not recommend where the protein should come from and there is no suggestion as to what the carbohydrate and fat levels in food would also need to be. These two aspects of the diet have a bearing on health. We also have to exercise and keep performing strength and resistance exercises such as carrying or lifting weights to encourage muscle formation.
It may seem very simple to say and the research may seem very obvious in its conclusions but a good balanced diet throughout all our lives is needed to preserve good muscle mass and therefore our strength. The research also adds to a general body of understanding about keeping protein intake regular over the whole day especially those who are ill, dieting to lose overall weight or body building.
The sports dietician and nutritionist for the Atlanta Hawks, Marie Spano M.S., R.D. reported in the Prepared Foods magazine (January 2018 edition; Levine, 2018) that:
“Building and maintaining muscle is important throughout the lifespan… and when a person reaches their early 40s, they should start taking steps to delay the progression of sarcopenia”. Based on accumulating evidence including the Quebec NuAge study, protein is definitely a primary ingredient needed for muscle building and maintenance.
Spano recommends “at least 30g of high-quality protein per meal and eating fairly evenly-spaced meals throughout the day” as a way to reduce muscle loss throughout the body. She also suggests based on research some other nutrients that must be consumed regularly.
“In addition, research suggests the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA can help decrease inflammation, thereby improving muscle function, while also improving muscle strength and muscle mass in older adults.”
Revised 20th January, 2018 to include new statistics about sarcopenia and improve the overall content.
Reference
Farsijani, S., Payette, H., Morais, J. A., Shatenstein, B., Gaudreau, P., & Chevalier, S. (2017). Even mealtime distribution of protein intake is associated with greater muscle strength, but not with 3-y physical function decline, in free-living older adults: the Quebec longitudinal study on Nutrition as a Determinant of Successful Aging (NuAge study). The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, ajcn146555. First published May 17, 2017, PMID: 28515070 doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.146555
Levine, L. (2018) Young Seniors. Prepared Foods. January 2018 pp. 45-56
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