Protein and exercise after 50: needs, meal distribution and recovery

Aging muscle responds less to the same dose of amino acids: this is "anabolic resistance." It doesn't switch on at age 50 and varies with activity, sleep, nutritional status and illness. Training reduces it without eliminating it.

In triathletes around 53 years old, muscle protein synthesis over three days of intense training was about 1.5% per day, compared with 1.7% in 27-year-old triathletes. Recovery after a downhill run was also somewhat slower. These are small groups, but the data point in the same direction as studies in less active older adults.

The PROT-AGE expert group recommends at least 1.0 to 1.2 g of protein per kg per day for people over 65, and at least 1.2 g/kg/day for active people. EFSA sets 0.83 g/kg/day for adults in the general population.

A meta-analysis of 74 randomized trials showed that increasing protein during resistance training favored a modest gain in lean mass. In people 65 and older, the effect was significant at an intake of 1.2 to 1.59 g/kg/day; in younger people, from 1.6 g/kg/day. Effects on strength were small.

For a 70 kg person, 1.2 g/kg/day works out to 84 g per day and 1.6 g/kg/day to about 112 g, food included. These figures give a rough order of magnitude, not a prescription.

An analysis of tracer studies showed that muscle synthesis plateaued at around 0.40 g/kg of protein per meal in men around 71 years old, compared with 0.24 g/kg in 22-year-old men. For 70 kg, that's about 28 g per meal, often more than a typical breakfast provides.

The most common pattern, a low-protein breakfast and a dinner that concentrates most of the day's intake, is therefore the first thing to fix. That said, trials don't prove that a perfectly even distribution improves strength in someone who already hits their daily total. Leucine, found in dairy, eggs, fish, meat and soy, contributes to this signal; there's no need to take it as a separate supplement. For concrete ideas, see the high-protein breakfast.

Both the meal before the session and the one after contribute. The post-workout window isn't a door that shuts within minutes: if you ate protein shortly beforehand, there's no need to rush. Fasted, or with the next meal far off, a protein snack within the following hours is reasonable. The detailed principles are covered in our article on protein after exercise.

For endurance, protein doesn't replace the carbohydrates that fuel the effort. A review devoted to masters endurance athletes notes that their recovery after muscle-damaging exercise, such as downhill running, is slower than in younger athletes; recovery nutrition should then combine protein, carbohydrates and fluids.

Fish, eggs, dairy, meat, tofu, tempeh, legumes and grains all contribute. Whey is convenient when appetite, time or chewing pose a problem, but it isn't inherently more "athletic" than food. Plant proteins work too, provided you vary the sources and eat a sufficient amount, since they're generally somewhat lower in leucine.

The g/kg benchmarks are less straightforward with obesity, edema, rapid weight loss or illness. The PROT-AGE group notes that older people with severe kidney disease (filtration rate below 30 ml/min) who are not on dialysis should limit their intake. A powder can contain sugar, sweeteners or allergens, and sports products carry a risk of contamination with substances banned for tested competitors.

1. 01Track the protein-containing foods in each meal for three days.
2. 02Aim first for a cautious target, such as 1.2 g/kg/day, rather than the highest figure.
3. 03Spread it across three meals of about 0.4 g/kg, strengthening breakfast in particular.
4. 04Add a portion around your training session if the meal before or after is far off.
5. 05Reassess after a few weeks: progress in training loads, tolerance, hunger, weight and sleep.