Research
Macro partitioning
Current dietary guidelines (RDA of 0.8 g/kg) may be insufficient for older adults to prevent muscle loss, but exceeding this amount alone does not significantly improve strength or performance without resistance training.
As you age, you might need more protein to maintain muscle, but just eating more protein won't make you stronger. You must combine adequate protein with resistance training to preserve strength and function. Exceeding recommended amounts without exercise offers little extra benefit.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
It is less clear whether protein supplementation beyond the RDA affords a substantial benefit, as multiple trials suggest only a limited benefit of additional supplementation on lean mass or muscle mass... and even poorer effects on strength or performance.
Why this rating
Mixed results in trials, some show limited benefit.
Source
Protein-Restricted Diets and Their Impact on Metabolic Health and Aging
Sora Q. Kim et al. · Annual Review of Nutrition · 2025
DOI 10.1146/annurev-nutr-121624-114918
narrative_reviewCited 9×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Protein restriction (specifically low-protein, high-carbohydrate diets) extends lifespan and improves metabolic health in model organisms, likely through mechanisms distinct from or overlapping with calorie restriction, such as elevated FGF21.Good
- High protein intake is the most satiating macronutrient per calorie and promotes weight loss and fat loss when combined with calorie restriction, primarily by preserving lean mass and increasing energy expenditure.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
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 →