Research
Macro partitioning
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.
Don't skip meals. Try to eat 25-35 grams of protein at every meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks if needed). This keeps your muscles building throughout the day. A large dinner alone won't do as much as spreading it out.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
older persons should be encouraged to eat between 1.0 and 1.2 g/kg of body weight per day of protein through the consumption of an adequate serving (e.g., 25–35 g) of high-quality protein sources at every meal [35,39].
Why this rating
Based on mechanistic studies and some clinical trials, but the paper notes uncertainty and need for more specific studies.
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
- 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.Good
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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