Call it vain but more people than you would imagine believe that raising protein intake will boost muscle mass as they age. Not true, say researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Washington, US. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is the same for adults of all genders and ages (0.8 gm/kg/day), and the findings of the study suggest that raising protein intake in the hope of increasing muscle mass and muscle function simply doesn’t work. A six-month clinical trial called ‘Optimised Protein Intake in Older Men (OPTIMEN)’ and published in JAMA Internal Medicine took 78 men aged 65 or older and gave them prepackaged meals with individualised protein and energy content and supplements. At the end of the six months, the increase in protein intake had no significant effect on lean body mass, fat mass or muscle performance over those who got the normal RDA of protein.

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Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
June 2018