Macro partitioning
Increasing total daily protein intake to 1.5 g/kg/day (2x RDA) significantly improves whole-body net protein balance and muscle protein synthesis in older adults, whereas the distribution pattern of protein across meals (even vs. uneven) has no significant effect on these outcomes.
Older adults aiming to maintain muscle mass should prioritize consuming approximately 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. You do not need to stress about splitting this amount perfectly evenly across breakfast, lunch, and dinner; consuming the majority of your protein at dinner or having an uneven distribution is just as effective for net protein balance as an even distribution, provided the total daily amount is sufficient.
In conclusion, whole body net protein balance was greater with protein intake above recommended dietary allowance (0.8 g protein/kg/day) in the context of mixed meals, without demonstrated effects of protein intake pattern, primarily through higher rates of protein synthesis at whole body and muscle levels.
Why this rating
Randomized clinical trial with stable isotope tracers and muscle biopsies in a specific older adult population (n=20), though sample size is modest.
Source
Quantity of dietary protein intake, but not pattern of intake, affects net protein balance primarily through differences in protein synthesis in older adults
Il‐Young Kim et al. · American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism · 2014
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