Over 40? You probably need more protein

If you thought protein was just for bodybuilders then think again! The real benefits of a higher protein diet have nothing to do with sculpting the perfect physique, it’s the long-term health benefits that should be our focus.

Protein plays a part in just about every bodily process that you can think of, from cellular repair to hormone production, hair growth to immune system response. When we eat protein-rich foods, the body breaks down the protein into individual amino acids to then put them back together again in the form of something else, like a hormone. This is why amino acids are often referred to as ‘the building blocks’ of the body.

But while the myth that only people in intense exercise regimes should be supplementing protein pervades, one enormous part of the population suffers: the over 40s.

The Reference Nutrient Index advises adults in the UK to eat at least 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body mass, the equivalent of roughly 50g for someone weighing 70kg (11 stone). But few people realise that these guidelines are based on studies involving only young adults, ignoring the changes in physiology that humans undergo as they age.

Once you reach age 40, sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass as you age, begins to set in. While this might not sound particularly scary, the side effects are far from desirable: weakness, fatigue and vulnerability to injury.

Muscles are made up of proteins that are synthesised from the proteins in your diet. They also are the tissues that surround and protect your joints, your bones and even your organs. In short, you want to keep your muscles.

The body also develops what is known as ‘anabolic resistance’ with age. In plain English, a 50-year-old body is less likely to make protein than a 20-year-old body, even if they eat the same amount of protein. This means that in order to have the same muscle mass as you did when you were younger, you should be increasing your protein intake.

Many older people also notice a decrease in their appetite and so, they end up eating less. When they eat less, protein consumption invariably suffers, and they are less likely to meet the daily guidelines.

Now we know that protein works to maintain and repair muscle, its absence from the diet is detrimental. When you do not eat protein, your body sources it elsewhere i.e. in your existing muscles. Protein is the only macronutrient that is not stored by the body to be used later; either you eat it, or your body eats you.

To prevent sarcopenia and to maintain independence and quality of life, many experts are now saying that you should be eating at least 30 grams of protein per meal.

Recent research suggests that older adults, aged 50 and above, should aim to eat 1.2-1.5g of protein per kilo bodyweight a day, which is the equivalent to 84-105g of protein a day if you weigh 70kg. Obviously, if you weigh more or less, you’ll need more or less protein.

For active individuals, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends that you need somewhere between 1.4-2g of protein per kilo body weight a day. If you do mostly endurance exercise (such as running), aim for the lower end of that range and if you’re more into resistance training then aim for the higher end.

Using the same example above, if you‘re active and weigh 70kg then you should aim for 98-140g protein a day or up to 30-40g per meal, max, depending upon how many meals you eat.