The Conversation
STAYING strong as we grow older is not just about hitting the gym or keeping active – what we put on the dinner plate can play an equally important role in protecting the muscle that keeps us independent.
Getting out of a chair, carrying the groceries, climbing a flight of stairs or playing with the grandchildren are everyday activities most of us barely think about.
But maintaining the muscle needed to perform those simple tasks becomes increasingly important with age.
As we grow older, muscles naturally become smaller and weaker, with significant age-related loss of muscle mass and strength known as sarcopenia.
Exercise, particularly activities that challenge the muscles, is an important part of the equation.
But researchers say there is another weapon in the fight to remain strong and independent: protein.
Protein provides amino acids, the building blocks the body uses to make and maintain tissues including skeletal muscle.
The challenge is that ageing can reduce the body’s ability to digest, absorb and use nutrients, while older muscles do not respond to dietary protein as efficiently as younger muscles.
That means simply eating the same way you did at 30 or 40 may not necessarily provide the same results later in life.
When people hear the word protein, they often immediately think of a steak.
But protein can come from a much broader range of foods including fish, eggs and dairy products, as well as plant-based options such as tofu, lentils, nuts and seeds.
Research suggests both the quantity and quality of that protein can matter.
One particularly important component is leucine, one of the essential amino acids involved in activating the body’s muscle-building processes.
Proteins containing sufficient essential amino acids, including leucine, can therefore be particularly useful for supporting muscle.
And animal products are not the only option.
Research involving adults aged between 60 and 80 found a plant-based pea protein performed strongly alongside whey protein in stimulating muscle-building.
Researchers divided 31 participants into groups receiving whey, pea or collagen protein supplements after an initial period in which their protein intake was controlled.
Participants then consumed an additional 25 grams of their allocated protein at breakfast and another 25 grams at lunch.
Muscle biopsies showed the higher-quality whey and pea proteins increased muscle-building by almost 10 per cent.
Collagen, despite being widely marketed to older consumers, did not produce the same muscle-building benefit in the study.
The findings reinforce an important message: when it comes to maintaining muscle, simply seeing the word “protein” on the label does not necessarily mean every source will have the same effect.
