Hormonal
Prior resistance exercise and n-3 fatty acid (EPA/DHA) supplementation can sensitize skeletal muscle to plant-based proteins, enhancing the muscle protein synthesis response in older adults.
If you are older and eat plant proteins, make sure you exercise regularly and consider taking a fish oil supplement. This combination helps your muscles 'listen' to the protein you eat, making up for the fact that plant proteins are less efficient than meat.
Finally, prior exercise or n-3 fatty acid supplementation have been shown to sensitise skeletal muscle to the anabolic properties of dietary protein. Applying one or more of these strategies may support the maintenance of muscle mass with ageing when diets rich in plant-based protein are consumed.
Why this rating
Evidence is from acute studies and proof-of-concept trials; long-term chronic data specifically for plant protein + n-3 in older adults is noted as a 'next step'.
Source
Characterising the muscle anabolic potential of dairy, meat and plant-based protein sources in older adults
Stefan H. M. Gorissen et al. · Proceedings of The Nutrition Society · 2017
DOI 10.1017/s002966511700194x
More from this paper
- Animal-derived proteins (dairy, meat) elicit a superior postprandial muscle protein synthesis response in older adults compared to plant-based proteins (soya, wheat) due to higher digestibility, superior essential amino acid profiles (specifically leucine, lysine, methionine), and faster amino acid absorption kinetics.Good
- Increasing the dose of plant-based protein (e.g., 60g wheat) or blending complementary plant proteins (e.g., maize/soy) can overcome the inferior anabolic response of single plant sources in older adults, matching the efficacy of animal proteins.Moderate
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →