The protein trick that helps seniors keep their strength

It’s no secret that as you age, you lose muscle mass. Doctors and scientists call this phenomenon sarcopenia, and it’s considered a natural part of getting older.

It starts in your 30s, and by the time you reach your 70s, you may have lost as much as 50 percent of your muscle mass.

As you can imagine, losing that much muscle mass makes it hard to stay active and mobile. That’s why sarcopenia is one of the top causes of frailty, poor mobility and falls in older people.

So does that mean you’re doomed to a future of weak muscles and waning independence?

Absolutely not. Even though sarcopenia is considered “natural,” that doesn’t mean it’s not preventable…

There are ways to slow down sarcopenia and keep your muscles (and independence) intact for much longer.

The most obvious way to prevent sarcopenia is exercise, particularly strength training. And if you really want to maintain your muscle mass, you can complement your exercise regimen with an omega-3 supplement. Research shows that this simple trick can double the amount of strength you gain from your workout.

But perhaps the easiest way to stave off sarcopenia relates to your diet. There’s a dietary trick you can use to keep your muscles strong no matter how many birthdays you’ve celebrated…

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The protein solution to sarcopenia

Eating enough protein is essential to maintaining muscle mass… especially as you age. But the latest research from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre shows that it’s not just how much protein you eat that matters, it’s when you eat it…

Seniors in North America tend to eat their protein later in the day with their lunch and/or dinner. But that doesn’t bode as well for their muscle mass as eating protein at every meal, according to this research.

In the study, researchers tracked the diet and muscle health of nearly 1,800 people between the ages of 67 to 84 years old for three years. At the end of three years, they found that people who ate protein at all three meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner — had stronger muscles to show for it.

Why did an extra dose of protein make a difference?

Because it gives the body a boost of amino acids. Your body needs these amino acids to create the protein that makes up your muscles.

Basically, if you get a dose of amino acids at every meal, you’re giving your body more of muscle building blocks it needs.

Keep pounding the protein

So the takeaway here is, you shouldn’t just eat protein here and there — you should eat it every time you sit down for a meal.

Now, the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein is on the low side — 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. If you want to optimize your protein intake, however, you’ll want to at least double that. That means getting about 15 to 25 percent of your daily calories from protein. If you’re breaking it down by meal, you should shoot for 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal.

Since breakfast seems to be the meal most people skimp on the protein, here are a few high-protein breakfast ideas to add to your weekly menu:

• Yogurt, fruit and nuts
• Spinach, cheese and scrambled egg in a whole grain tortilla
• Cottage cheese, fruit and chia seeds
• Salmon lox and cream cheese on a whole grain bagel
• A smoothie with protein powder
• Whole grain toast with almond butter
• Tofu scramble