Research

Hormonal

Older adults (65+ years) require higher protein intakes (1.2–1.4 g/kg/day) than the standard RDA (0.8 g/kg/day) to maintain lean body mass and stimulate muscle protein synthesis.

If you are over 65, aim for 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. This is higher than the standard recommendation of 0.8 g/kg. This higher intake helps counteract the natural loss of muscle strength and mass associated with aging. Ensure you are also engaging in resistance exercise to maximize these benefits.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
From these studies, a safe minimal protein intake would be 1.0–1.2 g/kg/day for normal healthy younger persons (16) and at least 1.2 g/kg/day and perhaps as high as 1.4 g/kg/day for older persons (20–22).
Stuart M. Phillips · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2017

Why this rating

Based on multiple nitrogen balance studies, IAAO methods, and observational cohort data cited in the review.

Source

Current Concepts and Unresolved Questions in Dietary Protein Requirements and Supplements in Adults

Stuart M. Phillips · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2017

DOI 10.3389/fnut.2017.00013

narrative_reviewCited 138×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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