The protein figure on nutrition labels and in federal guidance comes from the recommended dietary allowance, 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight a day. For a 170-pound person, that is about 62 grams. It is meant to cover the needs of nearly all healthy adults, and it is the same number at 25 as at 75.
A growing number of geriatric specialists think that is too low for older adults.
Why aging changes the math
Muscle is constantly being broken down and rebuilt. Eating protein, especially combined with exercise, tips that balance toward building. With age, muscle becomes less responsive to the same amount of protein, a change researchers call anabolic resistance. More of the protein eaten is also used by the gut and liver before it ever reaches muscle.
Illness adds to the problem. Infections, surgery and chronic inflammatory conditions all increase protein breakdown, and they become more common with age. At the same time, appetite often declines, dental problems make some foods harder to eat, and people living alone may cook less.
The result is a steady loss of muscle that can eventually limit walking, climbing stairs and recovering from a fall or hospital stay.
What experts recommend
In 2013, the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society convened an international panel, known as the PROT-AGE Study Group, to review the evidence. Its position paper1 recommended that healthy adults over 65 eat at least 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day.
For older adults who exercise or are otherwise active, the group advised 1.2 grams or more. For those with acute or chronic illness, it suggested 1.2 to 1.5 grams3. The key exception is people with severe kidney disease, defined as an estimated filtration rate below 30, who are not on dialysis. They may need to limit protein instead.
For the same 170-pound person, 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram works out to about 77 to 93 grams a day.
The evidence behind it
The strongest support comes from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study, which followed adults ages 70 to 79. In a 2008 analysis2 of 2,066 participants, those in the highest fifth of protein intake, averaging about 1.2 grams per kilogram, lost about 40 percent less lean mass and limb muscle over three years than those in the lowest fifth, who averaged about 0.7 grams.
That study was observational, so people who ate more protein may have been healthier in other ways. But it fits with metabolic research showing that older muscle needs a larger dose of protein at a meal to trigger the same building response.
Spreading it across the day
Many Americans eat little protein at breakfast and most of it at dinner. Some researchers suggest that older adults benefit from a more even pattern, roughly 25 to 30 grams at each main meal, because muscle can use only so much at one sitting. The evidence on timing is less settled than the evidence on total amount, but an even split is an easy way to reach a higher daily target.
New England kitchens make this easier than most. Some practical sources, with approximate protein:
- three ounces of cod, haddock or salmon, about 20 grams
- three ounces of cooked quahogs or other clams, about 20 grams
- a cup of plain Greek yogurt, about 20 grams
- two eggs, about 12 grams
- a cup of cooked lentils or beans, about 15 to 18 grams
- a cup of milk, about 8 grams
A bowl of clam chowder made with milk, a yogurt breakfast and a fish dinner can bring a typical older adult close to the target without supplements.
Protein works best with exercise
More protein is not a substitute for using muscle. The PROT-AGE group paired its advice with a recommendation for both endurance and resistance exercise at whatever level is safe for each person. Studies consistently show the largest gains when the two are combined.
If you are over 65, have lost weight without trying or have recently been hospitalized, it is worth asking your doctor or a registered dietitian whether your intake is enough. For most healthy older adults, aiming a little above the label is a simple, low-risk change.
