Research
Macro partitioning
Higher protein intake (1.0–1.2 g/kg/day) is associated with greater appendicular lean mass in older adults compared to lower intake, and protein supplementation combined with resistance training improves fat-free mass.
Older adults should aim for 1.0–1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily to support muscle mass. This is higher than the standard 0.8 g/kg recommendation. Combining this intake with resistance exercise yields the best results for increasing fat-free mass.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Recommendations have been made for a protein intake of 1.0–1.2 g/kg body weight per day and are thought to be an optimal amount to maintain skeletal muscle health without affecting renal function in older adults... A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of 22 trails demonstrated that protein supplementation during prolonged periods of resistance exercise showed positive effects for fat-free mass when compared with a placebo (Weighted Mean Difference (WMD): 0.69; 95% CI 0.47, 0.9; p < 0.01)
Why this rating
Based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of multiple cohort and intervention studies.
Source
Epidemiology of Sarcopenia: Determinants Throughout the Lifecourse
Sarah Shaw et al. · Calcified Tissue International · 2017
DOI 10.1007/s00223-017-0277-0
narrative_reviewCited 174×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Sarcopenia is defined by the loss of muscle mass, strength, and physical function, and its prevalence varies significantly depending on the definition used.Strong
- Resistance training is more beneficial than aerobic exercise for improving muscle strength in older adults, and higher intensity resistance exercise yields larger effect sizes.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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