What diets do you recommend to maintain muscle strength as a senior?
Answers
One of the critical roles of diet in our body is to build muscle mass. The leading food for muscle is protein. To build muscles, our body turns protein into amino acids. However, sometimes, the ability to break down protein in some seniors’ bodies will be reduced. This phenomenon is called anabolic resistance. So, when you get older, you need to have more protein.
For a senior who does resistance training, daily consumption of 1 to 1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is suggested, based on a recent study in the journal Nutrients. For instance, 79 g to 103 g of protein is sufficient for a 175-pound man.
To increase muscle protein synthesis, spread your protein dose equally among your meals in a day, if possible. Although this amount of protein is way more than you can have in an average diet, there are many ways to have the extra protein you want.
Animal sources, meaning meat, eggs, and milk, are great because they contain a profound ratio of all the substantial amino acids. Still, it’s not a perfect way to consume red and processed meat because of their saturated fat and additives.
Healthier choices can be 3.5 ounces of salmon or chicken lean (31 g and 24 g), 6 ounces of plain Greek yogurt (17 g), 1 cup of skim milk (9 g), one cup of cooked beans (almost 18 g). Protein powders containing nearly 30 g of protein per scoop can be combined with all kinds of meals like shakes, yogurt, and oatmeal.
Dr. storer states that although food sources are plentiful, supplemental protein can aid if you’re dealing with having enough calories and protein from your regular diet. He also recommends having a three-to-one or four-to-one carb-to-protein ratio meal or drink 30 minutes after your workout to improve muscle growth and recovery. For instance, 8 ounces of chocolate milk with 22 g of carbs and 8 g of protein is an excellent choice.