Research
Macro partitioning
Older adults exhibit 'anabolic resistance,' requiring a higher threshold of protein (approx. 20-40g) per meal to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis compared to younger adults.
As you age, your body becomes less efficient at using protein for muscle building. To fix this, aim for 20-40 grams of high-quality protein (like eggs, chicken, or whey) at each meal, rather than saving most of your protein for dinner. This helps your body build and maintain muscle more effectively.
GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
our findings indicated that a < 20 g of protein ingestion was insufficient to mount a robust increase in MPS compared with the fasted state... the lack of sensitivity of older muscles to low-doses of AA is consistent with the phenomenon of ‘anabolic resistance’ with advancing age.
Why this rating
Based on multiple cited studies in older adults.
Source
Interactions between exercise and nutrition to prevent muscle waste during ageing
Leigh Breen et al. · British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology · 2012
DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04456.x
narrative_reviewCited 83×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
Related findings · Macro partitioning
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