Research
Hormonal
Leucine-enriched protein sources (e.g., whey, meat) or HMB supplementation are more effective than plant-based proteins or low-dose amino acids for stimulating muscle protein synthesis in older adults due to their ability to overcome anabolic resistance.
To build muscle as you age, the type of protein matters. Choose sources high in leucine, such as meat, dairy (whey/casein), or eggs. If you eat plant-based, ensure you are eating larger portions or combining sources to get enough leucine (approx. 3g per meal). Supplements like HMB (2g/day) or leucine-enriched whey can also help.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Leucine is considered the principal dietary regulator of muscle protein anabolism... higher doses (e.g., 10–15 g, with at least 3 g of leucine) are able to overcome these anabolic resistances and stimulate a protein synthetic response similar to that mounted by younger adults [8].
Why this rating
Supported by mechanistic studies and clinical trials (PROVIDE, etc.).
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×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- 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.Good
- Distributing protein intake evenly across meals (spread-feeding) with 25-35g of high-quality protein per meal is more effective for sustaining 24-hour muscle protein synthesis than consuming the majority of protein in one or two meals.Moderate
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