Research

Hormonal

Older adults require a daily protein intake of 1.0–1.2 g/kg (and up to 1.5 g/kg for those with acute or chronic disease) to preserve muscle mass, as the standard 0.8 g/kg RDA is insufficient due to age-related anabolic resistance.

If you are older, the standard protein recommendation of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight is likely not enough to stop muscle loss. Aim for 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram daily. If you are sick or recovering, aim for 1.2 to 1.5 grams. Focus on high-quality sources like meat, dairy, or eggs at every meal to trigger muscle building.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
a protein intake of 1.0–1.2 g/kg/day has been recommended for the preservation of healthy aging muscles, while 1.2–1.5 g/kg/day of protein may be necessary in older patients with acute or chronic diseases [7,14,33].
Francesco Landi et al. · Nutrients · 2016

Why this rating

Based on a comprehensive review of epidemiological studies, clinical trials, and consensus statements (PROT-AGE).

Source

Protein Intake and Muscle Health in Old Age: From Biological Plausibility to Clinical Evidence

Francesco Landi et al. · Nutrients · 2016

DOI 10.3390/nu8050295

narrative_reviewCited 211×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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