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- Whey protein is a high-quality, complete protein that supports muscle maintenance and repair because.
- Whey protein, especially when combined with resistance training, can help older adults preserve muscle mass, improve strength, and reduce the risk of falls.
- Older adults often need more protein than the minimum recommended amount.
Many older adults start to lose significant amounts of muscle mass and strength as a result of reduced physical activity, age-related muscle changes, and inadequate protein intake. Adding high-quality proteins to your diet while increasing strength training can help you maintain or increase your muscle mass, no matter your age. Here is the best protein source for maintaining muscle mass as you age.
Whey Protein Is The Best For Muscle Maintenance As You Age
Whey protein is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine of the essential amino acids your body needs to perform vital functions, such as building new proteins and producing hormones and neurotransmitters. It’s also especially rich in leucine, an amino acid that plays an important role in protein synthesis and muscle repair.
Whey is also considered a rapidly-digested protein, quickly increasing blood levels of amino acids that stimulate muscle protein synthesis. Studies show that whey protein is effective at building muscle mass in older adults and provides additional health benefits for the aging population.
A 2020 review found that whey protein supplements promoted protein synthesis, improved muscle performance, protected against muscle loss, and reduced the risk for falls in people 65 and older.
A 2024 review found that whey protein supplements increased skeletal muscle mass and improved strength when combined with resistance training in older adults with sarcopenia, the medical term for age-related loss of muscle mass and strength.
What Makes It The Best?
It’s best to opt for complete proteins that provide all the essential amino acids your body needs to build and repair muscle tissue. It’s also important to choose bioavailable proteins, meaning proteins that are efficiently digested by your body. Whey protein is very digestible by your body.
Proteins with a high concentration of certain amino acids, like the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCAAs, which are primarily metabolized in muscle tissue, have a unique “branched” molecular structure and play important roles in muscle protein synthesis and muscle recovery. Whey protein contains high levels of BCAAs, making it a good choice for supporting muscle health.
Whey protein is especially effective for maintaining and growing muscle mass when paired with resistance training, making resistance training especially important for older adults. In fact, a 2026 review found that older adults who paired whey protein supplements with resistance training saw the greatest improvements in muscle mass and leg strength compared with other protein-and-exercise combinations.
How Much Protein Do Older Adults Actually Need?
The current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is set at 0.8 grams per kg (g/kg) of body weight (0.36 grams of protein per pound (g/lb)). It’s important to know that the RDA is the minimum protein intake necessary to meet the body’s amino acid requirements, maintain nitrogen balance, and prevent muscle loss.
Most people, especially aging adults trying to gain or maintain muscle mass, need to take in much more protein than the current RDA. Experts recommend that healthy older adults take in at least 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg (0.45-0.54 g/lb) per day to maintain muscle mass.
Older people who are actively trying to build muscle and those at risk for malnutrition due to illness need even more, from 1.5-2 g/kg (0.68-0.75 g/lb) or more per day.
Why Maintaining Muscle Becomes More Important As You Age
You tend to lose more muscle as you age. This is usually from a combination of decreased protein intake, reduced movement, and age-related muscle changes that make your body less efficient at building new proteins.
Muscle loss can affect your overall health, including mobility, strength, balance, and independence.
Though muscle loss during aging is natural and inevitable, there’s a lot you can do to prevent rapid muscle loss. Increasing your intake of high-protein foods, like whey protein, and regularly incorporating resistance training into your routine are the best ways to maintain muscle health as you age.
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