Older adults should work to ensure they maintain muscle mass. While people can lose muscle mass beginning in their 30’s, people in their 60’s and older lose muscle mass more rapidly. Anahad O’Connor writes for the New York Times about the value of protein and resistance exercises to help older adults maintain muscle mass.
Loss of muscle mass as you age–sarcopenia–can jeopardize your health. It increases your risk of falling, breaking bones and becoming physically disabled. That, in turn, can mean loss of independence and a poor quality of life.
Protein can be a solution to retaining muscle mass as you age. There are plenty of foods you can eat to ensure you have enough protein in your diet, including avocados, nuts, milk, yogurt, eggs, lentils, hummus and fish.
Combining protein with resistance exercises, such as squats, lunges, pushups and weight-lifting, is the best way to go for your muscles. That will lessen the likelihood of your getting sarcopenia. Walking and other aerobic exercise are also helpful.
How much protein do you need? Some experts recommend eating 1 to 1.2 grams of protein daily for every 2.2 pounds you weigh. That’s about 60-70 grams of protein a day if you weigh 133 pounds. But, other factors contribute to the calculation, including exercise and physical health.
How should you include protein in your diet? It’s best to consume foods with protein throughout the day rather than in bulk. That way your body better absorbs the protein
Are protein supplements advisable? You should not need to take protein supplements if you eat a healthy diet with protein-rich foods. If that’s not possible, whey protein is recommended by some as a good protein supplement. It has lots of amino acids and can be easily absorbed. But, as with most supplements, the data is not clear that whey protein has any effect on muscle mass.
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