Hormonal
Increasing dietary protein intake to 1.0–1.2 g/kg/day in elderly individuals maintains nitrogen balance and calcium metabolism without adverse renal effects, serving as a safe baseline compromise until higher-dose long-term trials are completed.
If you are over 65, aim for 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight each day. This amount is safe for your kidneys and helps maintain muscle and bone health. This is a safe starting point, though some studies suggest higher amounts (up to 1.8 g/kg) might be better for building muscle, so consult your doctor if you have kidney issues.
Given the available data, increasing the RDA for older individuals to 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg per day would maintain normal calcium metabolism and nitrogen balance without affecting renal function and may represent a compromise while longer-term protein supplement trials are pending.
Why this rating
Based on a review of multiple epidemiological and short-term clinical studies, though long-term safety/efficacy data is explicitly noted as pending.
Source
Increasing Dietary Protein Requirements in Elderly People for Optimal Muscle and Bone Health
Erin Gaffney‐Stomberg et al. · Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2009
DOI 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2009.02285.x
More from this paper
- Elderly individuals require higher protein intakes (1.6–1.8 g/kg/day) to achieve muscle anabolism due to an impaired anabolic response to mixed meals and reduced insulin sensitivity compared to younger adults.Good
- Increasing dietary protein intake improves intestinal calcium absorption and suppresses parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion, thereby benefiting skeletal health without causing negative calcium balance.Good
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