• “I can’t eat like I did in my 20s—what’s going on?”
• “Should my parents follow the same protein rules as I do?”
• “I’m older now…How much protein do I need if I still want to lift moderate to heavy weight?”
I’ll answer all these questions with a deep dive into what’s really happening.
Let’s break it down…
MUSCLE LOSS BEGINS AT 30 (IF YOU LET IT)
By age 30, your body starts to lose muscle, around 3–8% per decade.
After 60, this speeds up to 1–2% per year.
If you don’t take action, you could lose up to 25-50% of your muscle mass by the time you’re 80.
This gradual loss in muscle mass is called sarcopenia.
There’s no dodging it.
It affects everyone, some more than others.
The good news is that you can fight it off with two proven strategies:
1. Resistance training
2. Higher protein intake
WHY YOU NEED MORE PROTEIN WITH AGE
Sarcopenia is a big one, but there’s three more biological occurrences that happen when we get older…
I. ANABOLIC RESISTANCE
As you age, your muscles become more stubborn and don’t respond as well to both exercise and dietary protein. This is called anabolic resistance.
II. KEY HORMONE REDUCTION
Testosterone and growth hormone go down significantly with age, reducing your muscle-building potential.
III. ACHES/PAINS AND DECREASED APPETITE:
Chronic inflammation and decreased appetite are other factors going against us as we get older, making it harder to maintain muscle mass.
The solution?…MORE PROTEIN!!!
To combat all three, you need larger dosesof protein to stimulate that same muscle growth, hormone production and spike in metabolism.
HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO YOU REALLY NEED?
Let’s do some basic math.
A simple formula to determine how much protein one needs is as follows…
Bodyweight (in pounds) ÷ 2.2 = your weight in kg
Then multiply your weight in kg by 1.6–2.2 to get your range of daily protein (in grams).
Example 1 – Female (120 lbs):
120 ÷ 2.2 = 54.5 kg
54.5 kg x 1.6 = 87g
54.5 kg x 2.2 = 120g
An active and/or older female weighing 120 pounds has a daily protein range of 87-120 grams.
Example 2 – Male (170 lbs):
170 ÷ 2.2 = 77.2 kg
77.2 kg x 1.6 = 123g
77.2 kg x 2.2 = 170g
An active and/or older male weighing 170 pounds has a daily protein range of 123-170 grams.
Note: The RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) is only about 0.8g/kg. This is basically the bare minimum to prevent nutrient deficiencies or to just simply…”survive”.
But we don’t wanna just “survive’ — we wanna “thrive”!
These are the healthy protein ranges for not just active but inactive, older adults as well. If you’re 50 years or older, it’s even more important that you hit these numbers daily.
WEIGHT TRAINING = HIGHER PROTEIN NEEDS
The harder and more often you train impacts how more protein you need! Weight-training creates small, molecular tears in your muscles.
To repair these tears, your body needs amino acids (the building blocks of protein). Not only do you want your muscles to recover, but you want them to grow stronger than before. This is a process called muscle protein synthesis (MPS).
To keep MPS active for as long as possible, your body needs a lot of these amino acids by consuming more protein. Especially the essential amino acid Leucine. And Leucine specifically helps trigger and activate MPS.
THE BEST PROTEIN SOURCES
Chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, beef, and whey protein are your best protein options. They contain all 9 essential amino acids, including Leucine.
Protein shakes come in very handy in hitting your daily quota and those who are busy with work. Older adults with low appetite or trouble swallowing benefit greatly from supplemental protein.
PROTEIN TIMING: WHEN YOU EAT MATTERS
How much protein you eat is important—when you eat it matters too.
And if you’ve made it this far in the blog, you’re probably thinking…
“I have to eat a lot of protein!!!”
But the good news is that it’s actually better to spread out your daily protein as much as possible rather than consuming it in larger meals.
Breaking up the traditional 3 meals per day into 4-6 meals produces less insulin, reducing the chances of fat storage and helping with hitting your quota without stuffing yourself.
SAMPLE DAY OF EATING (180 lb Male)
• Breakfast: 4 eggs + slice of cheese = 29g
• Lunch: 7 oz chicken + veggies = 42g
• Post-Workout Shake: Whey protein = 42g
• Dinner: 7 oz roast beef + veggies = 53g
• Bedtime Dessert: Yogurt w/ honey = 19g
Total Protein: 185 grams of protein
5 KEY RULES OF THUMB
I. AIM FOR 25-40g / 4-6 MEALS: Spacing out your protein boosts muscle-building and prevents muscle wasting.
Smaller, more frequent meals won’t release as much insulin compared to 2-3 larger ones (all food produces insulin. Carbs just produce the most).
II. KEEP IT SIMPLE: There’s nothing wrong with having just protein by itself if necessary. Keep a rotation of your preferred staples (eggs, chicken, beef, fish, fruits/vegetables), and just roll with that.
III. START EARLY: You’re the hungriest and your metabolism is the fastest in the morning. Take advantage of it!
After fasting overnight, a low-carb/high-protein breakfast will stop the muscle breakdown as well as kickstart your metabolism.
“Win the morning, win the day.”
IV. POST WORKOUT PROTEIN (25–40g protein within 2 hours)
This is when your muscles need it most, when they’re vulnerable and weak.
Muscles pushed to their limits through weight training need protein immediately, ideally in the form of a shake.
Consumed right after training, this protein will give you optimal muscle growth and recovery. Shakes are your friend! It’s quick, convenient and affordable protein.
V. SLOW DIGESTING BED-TIME PROTEIN - 20–30g (optional)
Foods with casein protein (yogurt, cottage cheese) break down more slowly, preventing muscle wasting and helping muscles repair overnight.
If you feel the need and are behind on your quota for the day, a low-carb/fat cottage cheese or yogurt works great in getting the extra grams and sparing lean muscle.
Just be sure to pick a quality, low-fat brand that isn’t loaded with sugar.
SUMMARY IN 2 SENTENCES
If you weight train on the reg, you need more protein. If you weight train on the reg and are older, you really need more protein.
Because when your body does more, it needs more. And that's even more true for older adults.
SUMMARY TAKE-AWAYS
I. Less calories/more protein. As we age, calorie needs go down. But protein needs actually go up!!!
II. Muscle loss accelerates with age. A higher protein intake + regular resistance training can slow or even prevent this from happening.
III. Resistance training + high protein intake = the best way to build/preserve muscle with age.
IV. Fight anabolic resistance with more protein per meal and per day. It’s imperative that active individuals, especially 50+ years to aim for 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day with 25–40g per meal.
V. Quality matters. Animal proteins contain all 9 essential amino acids and are the best options that will activate/trigger MPS due to the Leucine content.
VI. Timing (or when you eat) matters. Your body can only use 25–40g of protein effectively per meal for muscle-building. Space your protein intake evenly, with the most in the morning and post-workout.
