Let's start here first.
Muscle wasting, or sarcopenia, typically begins around the age of 30 and becomes more noticeable after 40. However, the rate of muscle loss accelerates significantly around 50-60 years old.
Without proper resistance training and protein intake, adults can lose 3-8% of their muscle mass per decade after 30, with even greater declines after 60.
This loss contributes to weakness, reduced metabolism, and a higher risk of falls and fractures.
Strength training, protein consumption, and an active lifestyle are key to slowing or reversing sarcopenia.
How much protein do you really need?
The first thing you should know about protein is that the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) is ridiculous. The current RDA is 1 gram per .8kg of body weight or 1 gram to every 1.76lbs of body weight.
This might be fine to keep a human alive, but it's not what we need to thrive.
There is ample amount of research showing that even if you consume the minimum RDA, especially elderly people, that you will lose muscle in as short a two-week period.
Protein is just that important.
The study by Robert W. Morton et al. (2018) analyzed multiple trials on healthy adults engaged in resistance training, with and without protein supplementation.
The participants in these studies ranged from 18 to 50 years old, covering both younger and middle-aged adults.
A study by Robert W. Morton et al., published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in March 2018, looked at two groups of men (18-50) over a six-month strength training program.
They examined the effects of post-workout protein supplementation on muscle growth.
One group consumed protein after their workouts in the form of a smoothie, while the other did not.
At the end of the study, both groups experienced strength gains.
However, the group that supplemented with protein saw significantly greater increases in muscle mass (approximately 3.3 lbs) than the other group.
This highlights the importance of protein intake, especially post-exercise, for maximizing muscle hypertrophy and recovery.
Another comprehensive analysis reviewed multiple studies comparing groups that supplemented with protein during resistance training to those that did not.
The findings indicated that protein supplementation led to greater increases in muscle mass and strength, especially when the training was prolonged and of higher intensity.
Dr. Peter Attia, one of the world's leading experts on longevity recommends the following:
The ideal amount of protein varies from person to person.
Data suggests for active people with normal kidney function, one gram per pound of body weight is a good place to start.
The ideal way to consume this amount is about 4 times throughout the day. This would be about .25g of protein per pound of bodyweight at each meal and then one snack (smoothie).
By breaking up your protein consumption, you can avoid the amino acids being broken down (oxidized) and used for energy instead of muscle building.
I will cover plant protein in another post.
One Final Thought
One of the largest studies ever done, called The Healthy Aging and Body Composition Study, looked at more than 2,000 elderly subjects.
They found that those who ate the most protein (18% of their total calories) kept more of their muscle mass over 3 years than those who consumed 10% of their total calories.
The difference was significant in that the low protein group lost 40% more muscle than the high protein group.
|
