Do you notice your grandparents shrinking as they age? If you pay close attention, you may see their bones sticking out at their shoulders or their clavicles. You may even start to feel the jut of their ribs when you give them a hug. Some of it could be fat loss, but there’s definitely loss of muscle mass, quality, and strength that occurs with age [1]. This is called sarcopenia, which shockingly, actually begins from the age of 30 [1]! While it happens with age, it can definitely be prevented with the right protein amount and distribution.
You need to eat enough protein to maintain muscle mass. Currently, it is recommended that all men and women above 19 years of age consume 0.8g of protein/kg/day [1]. However, studies have emerged suggesting that apart from the actual amount, protein amount and distribution across meals is crucial too. In this post, I will be discussing the optimal protein type, along with protein amount and distribution across the day to maximise muscle development.