From your 50s on, muscle becomes harder to keep. You lose it faster, and the muscle you have responds less to each meal than it did at 25. Protein is one of the two levers you control. The other is strength training.
How much
The official recommendation (the RDA) is 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. That’s the amount set to prevent deficiency in most adults, not the amount that best protects muscle as you age.
Two expert groups have reviewed the evidence for older adults:
- The PROT-AGE study group recommends 1.0–1.2 g/kg/day for healthy adults over 65, and more (1.2–1.5 g/kg) for those who are active or recovering from illness (Bauer et al., 2013).
- The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) expert group recommends at least 1.0–1.2 g/kg/day for healthy older adults (Deutz et al., 2014).
For a 75 kg person, 1.0–1.2 g/kg is roughly 75–90 g of protein a day.
These recommendations are for people over 65. In your 50s, they give you a sensible target to grow into.
How often
Older muscle needs a bigger dose at one time to get the same response. In one analysis, older men needed about 0.4 g/kg of protein in a meal to maximally stimulate muscle building, compared with about 0.24 g/kg for younger men (Moore et al., 2015). For a 75 kg person, that’s about 30 g per meal.
Many people eat a light breakfast, a light lunch and most of their protein at dinner. Spreading it as 25–40 g across three meals is a more practical way to hit both targets.
What counts
- 100 g chicken breast, cooked: about 30 g
- 200 g Greek yogurt: about 20 g
- 3 large eggs: about 18 g
- 1 cup cooked lentils: about 18 g
- 1 scoop whey protein: usually 20–25 g (check the label)
The part that matters most
Protein supports muscle. Strength training is what builds it. Eating more protein without training does far less. Two or three strength sessions a week, plus protein at each meal, is the combination the evidence supports.
Important: people with chronic kidney disease may need to limit protein. Check with your doctor before increasing it. This article is general information, not medical advice.
Sources
- Bauer J, et al. Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2013;14(8):542–559.
- Deutz NEP, et al. Protein intake and exercise for optimal muscle function with aging: recommendations from the ESPEN Expert Group. Clin Nutr. 2014;33(6):929–936.
- Moore DR, et al. Protein ingestion to stimulate myofibrillar protein synthesis requires greater relative protein intakes in healthy older versus younger men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2015;70(1):57–62.
