How Much Protein Do You Need Archives - Health Tips From The Professor

600th Issue Celebration

November 5, 2024 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Nutrition Advances Over The Last Two Years

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

In the nearly twelve years that I have been publishing “Health Tips From The Professor”, I have tried to go behind the headlines to provide you with accurate, unbiased health information that you can trust and apply to your everyday life.

The 600^th issue of any publication is a major cause for celebration and reflection – and “Health Tips From The Professor” is no different.

I am dedicating this issue to reviewing some of the major stories I have covered in the past 100 issues. There are lots of topics I could have covered, but I have chosen to focus on three types of articles:

Articles that have debunked long-standing myths about nutrition and health.

Articles that have corrected some of the misinformation that seems to show up on the internet on an almost daily basis.

Articles about the issues that most directly affect your health.

Here are my picks from the last two years:

Weight Loss Diets

Since it is almost January, let’s start with a couple of articles about diet and weight loss (or weight gain). I have covered the effectiveness of the Paleo, Keto, Mediterranean, DASH, vegetarian, and Vegan diets for both short and long-term weight loss in my book “Slaying The Food Myths”, so I won’t repeat that information here. Instead, I will share a few updates from the past 100 issues.

Is Time-Restricted Eating Better Than Other Diets? Time-restricted eating is one of the latest fads. But is it really better than other diets for weight loss and improved health? In this article I reviewed two studies that compare time-restricted eating with diets that do not restrict time of eating but cut calories to the same extent. You may be surprised at the results.

Can You Lose Weight Without Dieting? In this article I share 8 tips for losing weight without going on a diet. The article is based on research by Dr. Brian Wansink, a behavioral psychologist who specializes in studying how external clues influence our eating patterns. As you might suspect his 8 tips for losing weight have nothing to do with counting calories or going on restrictive diets.

Healthy Diets

Is Whole Fat Dairy Healthy? For years dietary guidelines have been telling us to select low fat dairy foods. But some health gurus are telling you that isn’t true. They claim whole fat dairy is healthy. So, you are probably wondering, “What is the scoop (as in ice cream) on whole fat dairy?” In this article I look at the study behind the headlines and answer that question. But the answer is not a simple “Yes” or “No”. The answer is more nuanced. It turns out that whole fat dairy is healthier in some diets than in others.

Are Low Carb Diets Healthy? Are low carb diets good for you or bad for you? It depends on which study you quote. Two major studies in recent years have come to opposite conclusions. In this article I help you sort through the conflicting studies and rephrase the question. Instead of, “Are low carb diets healthy”, the question should be, “Which low carb diets are healthy?”

Are All Plant-Based Diets Healthy? Plant-based diets have acquired a “health halo” in recent years. Your mama told you to eat your fruits and vegetables. And many health gurus have been telling you not to neglect your grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds as well. But some of these foods require a lot of food preparation.

Never fear! The food industry has come to your rescue with a wide variety of processed plant-based foods. No need for food prep. But are they as good for you as the unprocessed plant foods they replace? In this article I review a study that answers that question.

You probably know what that answer is, but the article is worth a read anyway. That is because the study also asks whether vegan and vegetarian diets are healthier than other primarily plant-based diets. And you may not know the answer to that question.

Diet And Heart Disease

Are Eggs Bad For You? For years we were told that eggs are bad for us because they contain cholesterol. Then we were told that eggs in moderation may not increase our risk of heart disease. And recently studies have appeared claiming eggs may be good for our hearts. What is the truth about eggs and heart disease? In this article I review a recent study claiming eggs are bad for our heart and put that study into the context of other recent studies to clear up the “eggfusion”.

Which Diets Are Heart Healthy? Every popular diet claims to help you lose weight, reduce your risk of diabetes, and reduce your risk of heart disease. All these claims can’t be true. Which diets deliver on their promises, and which are just pretenders? In this article I review a recent study that answered that question for heart disease.

This study was a very large metanalysis of over 40 studies with 35,548 participants that looked at the effect of different diets on heart disease outcomes. The study identified two diets that significantly reduced the risk of heart disease. There are other diets that might reduce the risk of heart disease, but their benefits have not been proven by high quality clinical studies. They are merely pretenders.

The Dangers Of Processed Foods

In previous issues of “Health Tips From the Professor” I have shared articles showing that diets high in processed foods are associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. But the story keeps getting worse. Here are two articles on recent studies about processed foods that appeared in “Health Tips From The Professor” in the last two years.

Why Does Processed Food Make You Fat? We already know that eating a lot of highly processed food is likely to make us fat. But what is it about processed food that makes us fat? In this article I review a recent study that answers that question.

This study is interesting for two reasons.

It identifies the characteristics of processed foods that make us want to eat more.

It identifies some minimally processed foods that have the same characteristics and suggests we should choose minimally processed foods wisely. Simply put, knowledge is power. We may want to avoid minimally processed foods that have the same obesity-inducing characteristics as processed foods.

Do Processed Foods Cause Cancer? Previous studies have shown that processed food consumption is associated with a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Can it get any worse? In this article I review a recent study that shows processed food consumption is associated with an increased risk of several kinds of cancer.

Maintaining Muscle Mass As We Age

As we age, we begin to lose muscle mass, a process called sarcopenia. Unless we actively resist loss of muscle mass it will eventually impact our quality of life and our health.

We can prevent this loss of muscle mass with resistance exercise, adequate protein intake, and adequate intake of the amino acid leucine. Previous studies have shown people over 50 need more of each of these to maintain muscle mass, but the amount they need has been uncertain until now. Three recent studies have given seniors better guidelines for maintaining muscle mass.

Can You Build Muscle In Your 80s? In this article I review a recent study that enrolled a group of octogenarians in a high-intensity exercise program to see if they could gain muscle mass. They were able to increase their muscle mass, but the intensity of the exercise required may surprise you.

Optimizing Protein Intake For Seniors. In this article I review two recent studies that looked at the amount, timing, and kind of protein needed for seniors in their 60s and 70s to maximize gain in muscle mass.

How Much Leucine Do Seniors Need? In this article I review a recent study that determined the amount of leucine seniors in their 70s need to optimize gains in muscle mass and strength.

The Benefits And Risks Of Supplementation

If you listen to Big Pharma or the medical profession, you hear a lot about the “risks” of supplementation and very little about the benefits. In “Health Tips From the Professor” I try to present a more balanced view of supplementation by sharing high-quality studies showing benefit from supplementation and studies that put the supposed risks into perspective.

The Good News About Omega-3s and Stroke. Multiple studies have shown that omega-3 supplementation reduces the risk of ischemic strokes (strokes caused by a blood clot). But it has been widely assumed they might increase the risk of hemorrhagic strokes (strokes caused by bleeding). In this article I review a meta-analysis of 29 clinical studies with 183,000 participants that tested that assumption.

How Much Omega-3s Are Best For Blood Pressure? Multiple studies have shown that omega-3 supplementation can reduce high blood pressure. But the doses used vary widely from one study to the next. In this article I review a meta-analysis of 71 double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies that determined the optimal dose of omega-3s for controlling blood pressure.

Omega-3 Supplements Are Safe. As I said above, it has been widely assumed that omega-3 supplementation increases the risk of bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke. In this article I review the definitive study on this topic. More importantly, it reveals which omega-3 supplements might increase bleeding risk and which do not.

Are Calcium Supplements Safe? Big Pharma and the medical profession have been warning us that calcium supplements may increase heart disease risk. In this article I review the definitive study on this topic.

Prenatal Supplements

If you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, your health professional has likely recommended a prenatal supplement. You probably assume that prenatal supplements provide everything you need for a healthy pregnancy. Unfortunately, recent research has shown that assumption is not correct.

Is Your Prenatal Supplement Adequate? In this article I review a study that should serve as a wakeup call for every expectant mother. It showed that most prenatal supplements were woefully inadequate for a healthy pregnancy.

What Nutrients Are Missing In Prenatal Supplements? In this article I review a study that identified additional nutrients that are missing in most prenatal supplements.

Prenatal Supplements Strike Out Again. In this article I review a study that looked at the diet of pregnant women to determine their needs and compared that to the nutrients found in prenatal supplements. Once again, most prenatal supplements were woefully inadequate. Is it, “Three strikes and you are out”?

Exercise

Walking Your Way To Health. We have been told that walking is good for our health. But how many steps should you take, how fast should you walk, and does it matter whether these steps are part of your daily routine or on long hikes? In this article I review a study that answers all these questions.

Which Exercise Is Best For Reducing Blood Pressure? If you have high blood pressure, you have probably been told to exercise more. But which exercise is best? In this article I review a study that answers that question. And the answer may surprise you.

Did You Know?

If you have been reading “Health Tips From the Professor” for a while, you probably know that I enjoy poking holes in popular myths. Here are two new ones I deflated in past two years.

Is Low Alcohol Consumption Healthy? You have probably heard that low alcohol intake (that proverbial glass of red wine) is good for you. But is that true? In this article I review a recent study that shows that myth was based on faulty interpretation of the data and provides a more nuanced interpretation of the data.

Is HDL Good For Your Heart? You have been told that increasing your HDL levels reduces your risk of heart disease so many times it must be true. But is it? In this article I review HDL metabolism and a recent study to provide a more nuanced interpretation of the relationship between HDL and heart disease risk.

How To Talk With Your Doctor About Cancer

Because of my years in cancer research, I am often asked whether someone should follow their oncologist’s advice and go on a recommended chemotherapy or radiation regimen. Of course, it would be unethical for me to provide that kind of advice.

In this article I tell you the questions to ask your oncologist about the prescribed treatment regimen, so you can make an informed decision. However, I also recommend you only ask these questions if you can handle the answers.

The Bottom Line

I have just touched on a few of my most popular articles above. You may want to scroll through these articles to find ones of interest to you that you might have missed over the last two years. If you don’t see topics that you are looking for, just go to https://chaneyhealth.com/healthtips/ and type the appropriate term in the search box.

In the coming years, you can look for more articles debunking myths, exposing lies and providing balance to the debate about the health topics that affect you directly. As always, I pledge to provide you with scientifically accurate, balanced information that you can trust. I will continue to do my best to present this information in a clear and concise manner so that you can understand it and apply it to your life.

Final Comment: You may wish to share the valuable resources in this article with others. If you do, then copy the link at the top and bottom of this page into your email. If you just forward this email and the recipient unsubscribes, it will unsubscribe you as well.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

_______________________________________________________________________________

My posts and “Health Tips From the Professor” articles carefully avoid claims about any brand of supplement or manufacturer of supplements. However, I am often asked by representatives of supplement companies if they can share them with their customers.

My answer is, “Yes, as long as you share only the article without any additions or alterations. In particular, you should avoid adding any mention of your company or your company’s products. If you were to do that, you could be making what the FTC and FDA consider a “misleading health claim” that could result in legal action against you and the company you represent.

For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

_______________________________________________________________________

About The Author

Dr. Chaney has a BS in Chemistry from Duke University and a PhD in Biochemistry from UCLA. He is Professor Emeritus from the University of North Carolina where he taught biochemistry and nutrition to medical and dental students for 40 years. Dr. Chaney won numerous teaching awards at UNC, including the Academy of Educators “Excellence in Teaching Lifetime Achievement Award”. Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

Since retiring from the University of North Carolina, he has been writing a weekly health blog called “Health Tips From the Professor”. He has also written two best-selling books, “Slaying the Food Myths” and “Slaying the Supplement Myths”. And most recently he has created an online lifestyle change course, “Create Your Personal Health Zone”. For more information visit https://chaneyhealth.com/lifestylechange/.

For the past 45 years Dr. Chaney and his wife Suzanne have been helping people improve their health holistically through a combination of good diet, exercise, weight control and appropriate supplementation.

Optimizing Protein Intake For Seniors

July 30, 2024 by Dr. Steve Chaney

The Role Of Muscle Protein In Energy Metabolism

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

We’ve been told, It’s all downhill after 30.” That may or may not be true depending on the lifestyle choices we make.

But for muscle mass, “It’s all downhill after 50!” Simply put, we start to lose muscle mass at an accelerating pace after 50, a process scientists call sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia should be a major concern for everyone over 50. Loss of muscle mass:

Causes unsteadiness which can lead to falls, bone fractures, and death.

Increases the risk of obesity because muscle burns more calories than fat. That increases our risk of obesity-related diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, osteoarthritis, and other inflammatory diseases.

Robs us of the fun activities we would like to enjoy in our golden years.

But sarcopenia is not inevitable. As I have discussed in previous issues of “Health Tips From the Professor”, there are three things we can do to minimize sarcopenia as we age.

Get adequate weight-bearing exercise. In other words, pump iron or use your body weight.

Get adequate protein.

Get adequate amounts of the branched-chain amino acid leucine.

In this article I will focus on the last two, especially the fact that we need more protein and leucine to prevent loss of muscle mass as we age. To help you understand why that is, I am going to share my favorite topic – Metabolism 101 (Once a biochemistry professor, always a biochemistry professor).

Metabolism 101: The Role Of Muscle Protein In Energy Metabolism

Most people associate muscle mass with strength and endurance. Many understand the important role muscle mass plays in burning off excess calories and keeping us slim. But few people understand the important role that muscle protein plays in our everyday energy metabolism.

Let’s start with an overview of metabolism [Note: If you are not interested in this, you can just skip over the bullets and read the take-home message at the bottom of this section.]

We get energy from the carbohydrate, fat, and protein we consume. Excess carbohydrate, fat, and protein in our meals are stored to provide the energy our body needs between meals and during prolonged fasting.

- We have a virtually unlimited ability to store fat, as some of you may have noticed.

- We have a very limited ability to store carbohydrates in the form of glycogen in our liver.

- Our ability to store protein is even more limited, even when protein intake is coupled with exercise. And muscle protein plays other very important functions. It is a precious resource.

- Finally, any carbohydrate and protein beyond our body’s ability to store it is converted to and stored as fat.

In the fed state most of our energy is derived from blood glucose. This is primarily controlled by the hormone insulin. As blood glucose levels fall, we move to the fasting state and start to call on our stored energy sources to keep our body functioning. This process is primarily controlled by a hormone called glucagon.

- In the fasting state most tissues easily switch to using fat as their main energy source, but…

- - Red blood cells and a few other tissues in the body are totally dependent on glucose as an energy source.

- - Initially our brain is totally dependent on glucose as an energy source, and our brains use a lot of energy. [Note: Our brain can switch to ketones as an energy source with prolonged starvation or prolonged carbohydrate restriction, but that’s another story for another day.]

Because our brain and other tissues need glucose in the fasting state, it is important to maintain a constant blood glucose level between meals.

- Initially, blood glucose levels are maintained by calling on the glycogen reserves in the liver.

- But because these reserves are limited, our body starts to break down muscle protein and convert it to glucose as well – even in the normal dinner/sleep/breakfast cycle.

You may have found the explanation above was excessive, but I couldn’t think of a simpler way of helping you understand that in addition to its other important role in the body, muscle protein is also an energy store.

When we eat, we make a deposit to that energy store. Between meals we withdraw from that energy store. When we are young the system works perfectly. Unless we fast for prolonged periods of time, we are always adding enough muscle protein in the fed state to balance out the withdrawals between meals.

But as we age, our ability to build muscle in the fed state becomes less efficient. Withdrawals exceed deposits, and we experience age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia).

What We Know About Preventing Age-Related Muscle Loss

As I said above, there are three things needed to prevent age-related muscle loss:

Adequate resistance exercise.
Adequate amounts of protein.
Adequate amounts of the essential, branched-chain amino acid called leucine.

And, as I said above, I am going to focus on the last two.

In previous issues of “Health Tips From the Professor” I have shared articles showing that the amount of both protein and leucine needed to maximize the gain in muscle mass following a meal or a workout increase as we age. For example:

For someone in their 30s, 15-20 grams of protein with 1.7 grams of leucine per meal is optimal.

But someone in their 60’s and 70s needs 25-30 grams of protein and 2.5-2.7 grams of leucine per meal to achieve the same effect.

Most of these studies have been done with men, but a recent study showed the results are identical with post-menopausal women.

However, previous studies have not addressed the role of protein supplementation in achieving adequate protein intake or what kind of protein supplements were best. The studies I will discuss today were designed to answer these questions.

How Were These Studies Done?

Study #1: As I said above, previous studies have suggested that 25-30 grams of protein per meal is optimal for preventing age-related loss of muscle mass in seniors. However, many seniors get most of their protein in their evening meal. On average, seniors consume 8-15 grams of protein at breakfast, 15-20 grams of protein at lunch, and 30-40 grams of protein at dinner.

This study (C Norton et al, The Journal of Nutrition, 146: 65-67, 2016) was designed to ask whether optimizing protein intake at each meal by adding a protein supplement at breakfast and lunch would increase lean muscle mass in seniors over a 24 week period.

The investigators recruited 60 adults, aged 50-70 (average age = 61) from the city of Limerick, Ireland. The participants were 73% women and had an average BMI of 25.8 (slightly overweight).

The participants were randomly assigned to receive either a milk-based supplement or an isocaloric, non-protein containing, maltrodextrin control. The protein supplement provided 15 grams of protein. The participants were instructed not to change any other aspect of their diet or activity level.

The protein supplement and placebo were provided in identical sachets and the participants were told to mix them with water and consume them with breakfast and lunch. The protein supplement and placebo looked and tasted identical, so the subjects did not know which group they were in. Compliance was assessed by collecting the used sachets at the end of the study.

The participants completed 4-day diet recalls under the supervision of a dietitian before and during the study. Lean muscle mass was determined prior to and at the end of the 24-week study.

Study #2: This study (J McKendry et al, The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.05.009) was designed to determine whether the ability to stimulate muscle protein synthesis depended on the type of supplemental protein.

This study was built on the results of the first study. Specifically, the investigators compared the effect on muscle protein synthesis of adding 25 grams of whey, pea, or collagen protein to the breakfast and lunch meals.

The investigators enrolled 31 healthy, older (average age = 72) subjects from the Hamilton, Ontario area. Subjects were excluded from the study if:

They had a medical condition or were taking any medication that might influence the results.
They used tobacco or tobacco related products.
They consumed a vegan or vegetarian diet
They used a walking device or were inactive for any reason.

The participants were placed on a standardized diet consisting of prepackaged meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and a mix of fruits, vegetables, snacks, and drinks. They were instructed to only eat the foods provided to them and to maintain their normal activity levels.

The diet was designed to provide the RDA for protein (0.8 gram of protein/kilogram of body weight) and to mimic the habitual dietary patterns of seniors in the United States and Canada.

Around 55% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 15% protein.
Uneven distribution of protein through the day (19% at breakfast, 26% at lunch, and 55% at dinner).

After one week on the control diet, participants were randomly assigned to receive 25-gram protein supplements of either whey, pea, or collagen protein and instructed to add them to their standardized diet for breakfast and lunch (total protein intake was increased by 50 grams/day). They followed this regimen for 7 days.

On day one and 7 of the control phase and on day 7 of the intervention phase (when the participants were consuming additional protein) muscle biopsies were obtained 90 minutes after breakfast for determination of the effect of the meal on muscle protein synthesis.

[Note: The participants were consuming a protein supplement containing an additional 25 grams of protein at both breakfast and lunch. But the effect of this additional protein on protein synthesis was only determined after the breakfast meal.]

Optimizing Protein Content For Seniors

Each of the studies provided important insights for anyone wanting to minimize age-related muscle loss.

Study #1: The effect of the whey protein supplement for breakfast and lunch on protein intake was as follows:

Protein Intake In Grams
Meal	Baseline	Plus Protein Supplement
Breakfast	15	27
Lunch	22	34
Dinner	38	38
Snacks	8	7
Total	83	106

[Note: The amount of additional protein from diet and supplementation averaged around 12 grams/meal instead of 15 grams in the supplemental protein provided. The investigators did not address this, but I suspect the participants may have cut back on their regular food intake because the protein supplement reduced their appetite.]

The results were clear cut:

Protein supplementation at breakfast and lunch resulted in a 1.3-pound gain in lean body mass over 24 weeks compared to the control group using an isocaloric, non-protein containing maltodextrin supplement.

The authors concluded, “Protein supplementation at breakfast and lunch for 24 weeks in healthy older adults resulted in a positive (1.3 pound) difference in lean muscle mass compared with an isoenergetic, nonnitrogenous maltodextrin control. These observations suggest that an optimized and balanced distribution of meal protein intakes could be beneficial in the preservation of lean tissue mass in the elderly.”

I would add two things:

This study did not show that these protein levels were optimal. It only showed that using a protein supplement to increase protein intake at breakfast and lunch was beneficial for seniors consuming most of their protein at dinner.

This study also did not show that a total intake of 106 grams of protein in the supplemented group was necessary for maintaining lean muscle mass.

If the 83 grams of protein in the control group were evenly divided between breakfast, lunch, and dinner it would have come to almost 28 grams of protein per meal. That would fall within the 25-30 grams of protein per meal that most experts feel is sufficient to help seniors prevent age-related loss of lean muscle mass.

Study #2: The effect of the three protein supplements at breakfast and lunch on protein intake was as follows:

Protein Intake In Grams
Protein Source	Control Phase	Supplemental Phase
Collagen	70	112
Whey Protein	68	108
Pea Protein	64	104

[Note: The amount of additional protein from the control diet plus supplementation averaged around 40 grams/meal instead of 50 grams in the supplemental protein provided. This means that study participants were actually consuming an extra 20 grams of protein at breakfast and lunch.]

Again, the results were clear cut:

Adding ~20 grams of either whey or pea protein to a relatively low-protein (15 grams) breakfast increased muscle protein synthesis by ~9%.

Adding ~20 grams of collagen to the same low-protein breakfast had no effect on muscle protein synthesis.

The authors concluded, “We discovered that the RDA [for protein] was insufficient to support higher rates of MPS [muscle protein synthesis] in older adults. Manipulating dietary protein to increase daily consumption of higher quality – whey and pea but not collagen – proteins by targeting the lowest protein-containing meals offers a viable strategy to enhance…MPS in older adults.”

“Consuming protein much closer to expert group consensus recommendations [1.2 gm/kg instead of the current 0.8 gm/kg for adults over 50] may help to increase…MPS with advancing age and extend health-span – compressing the years of disease and disability commonly experienced by older individuals closer to the end of life.”

My comments are:

You may recall from the previous discussion that age-related muscle loss occurs because muscle protein synthesis (MPS) becomes less efficient as we age.

- Therefore, an increase in muscle protein synthesis following each meal will lead to an increase in muscle mass over time, such as was seen in the first study.

In our 60’s and beyond we require higher amounts of both protein and leucine to maximize muscle protein synthesis.

The collagen supplement used in this study provided enough supplemental protein. But it probably was ineffective because it only provided 0.86 grams of leucine.

- The amount of leucine in the control diet was not specified, but with only 15 grams of protein for breakfast there was probably enough leucine to make up for the lack of leucine in the collagen supplement.

In contrast the whey and pea supplements provided 2.7 and 2.1 grams of leucine, respectively. When added to the leucine in the control diet, this would be more than enough to drive muscle protein synthesis.

- Not every pea protein supplement may be as effective as the one used in this study. When I looked it up, it was described as an “enriched pea protein designed as a soy and milk alternative.” The manufacturer did not say how it was “enriched”, but I suspect it was enriched by adding extra leucine.

Finally, this study does not show that seniors need to consume more than 100 grams of protein per day. It simply shows that adding an extra 20 grams of supplemental protein to a low-protein meal can help maximize muscle protein synthesis and minimize age-related muscle loss.

What Do These Studies Mean For You?

Don’t Leave Out Resistant Exercise. These studies were focused on the timing and quality of protein. But don’t forget that adequate protein and leucine are only two of the requirements for preventing age-related muscle loss. The third, and arguably the most important, is resistance exercise.

Aim for at least three 30-minute resistance exercise sessions per week. If you have physical limitations consult with your health professional about the type, duration, and intensity of resistance exercise that is right for you.

Forget What You Have Been Told About Protein. You have been told that American consume too much protein. That’s probably true for the average couch potato. But it is not true for seniors. The average American does consume too much of the wrong kind of protein, but that’s another story for another day.

You have been told that the average woman only needs 46 grams of protein per day and the average man needs only 56 grams of protein per day. That’s based on the RDA of 0.8 gm/kg (0.36 gm/pound) and an average weight of 127 pounds for women and 155 pounds for men.

We haven’t weighed that since the 50’s. Today the average woman weighs 170 pounds, and the average man weighs 201 pounds. That means protein intake should be at least 61 gm/day for women and 72 gm/day for men.

But that’s only if you are in your twenties or thirties. The consensus among those who study protein needs in seniors is that the RDA should be 1.2 gm/kg (0.54 gm/pound) for adults over 50. That’s 91 gram/day and 108 grams/day, respectively, for average weight women and men.

With that perspective, it is easy to understand the recommendation that seniors get 25-30 grams of protein and 2.5-2.7 grams of leucine per meal. That’s 75-90 grams of protein and 7.5-8.1 grams of leucine per day. But that is probably not what you are hearing from your doctor.

Why Is Supplemental Protein Important? It’s easy to say that seniors should get 25-30 grams of protein per meal, but that’s not the way most seniors eat.

When I was a child growing up in Alabama the standard breakfast was eggs, ham, grits with ham gravy and biscuits. I’m not saying that was a healthy breakfast, but it was the standard breakfast where I lived at the time. And it provided plenty of protein.

In today’s world most seniors have been told to avoid eggs and red meat. Breakfasts are more likely to be some type of cereal with a fruit garnish and perhaps some toast. That’s a much healthier breakfast, but it’s a low-protein breakfast. That’s why most seniors only get 8-15 grams of protein at breakfast time.

I won’t go into lunches, but similar transformations have taken place at lunch time.

So, if you want to avoid age-related muscle loss you have two choices:

Completely change your diet and incorporate more healthy protein foods into your breakfast and lunch menus or…

Add a protein supplement to your low-protein meals. The second study suggests that 20 grams of supplemental protein will be sufficient to transform a low-protein meal into one that will support muscle protein synthesis and minimize age-related muscle loss.

Why Is Protein Quality Important? The second study shows that having enough protein is not sufficient to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. It must be high quality protein.

The authors of the study suggested that collagen did not stimulate muscle protein synthesis due to its low leucine content.

And, as I mentioned earlier, the pea protein used in the study was “enriched” so it could be used as a “whey or soy alternate”, and the “enrichment” probably included adding extra leucine.

So, if you are planning to use a plant protein supplement with your low-protein meal(s), I would recommend choosing one with added leucine.

How Much Protein Is Too Much? The ability of a protein meal and/or supplement to stimulate muscle protein synthesis begins to plateau at around 30 grams of protein, so there is little advantage to protein intakes above 30 grams at one time. And as I said above, excess protein is stored as fat.

What About An After-Workout Supplement? Previous studies have shown that the numbers are about the same for after-workout supplements.

For someone in their 30s, 15-25 grams of protein with 1.7 grams of leucine per meal is enough to maximize muscle gain after a workout.

But someone in their 60s or 70s needs 25-30 grams of protein and 2.5-2.7 grams of leucine per meal to maximize muscle gain.

After-workout supplements can also be designed to optimize the insulin response, but that is another story for another day.

One Final Pearl

At the very beginning of this article, I told you that the breakdown of muscle protein to keep blood sugar levels constant during fasting and starvation was driven by a hormone called glucagon.

And the active ingredient in the latest weight loss drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Trulicity is GLP-1, which stands for glucagon-like peptide-1.

So, it should be no surprise that those drugs cause loss of muscle mass. That’s a side effect you probably haven’t been told about.

The Bottom Line

It’s all downhill after age 50! That’s when we start to experience age-related muscle loss, something called sarcopenia.

Age-related muscle loss can be prevented with resistance exercise, adequate protein, and adequate leucine. And the amount of both protein and leucine we need to prevent muscle loss increases as we age.

Previous studies have defined the amount of protein and leucine we need to prevent muscle loss in our 60s and 70s. The studies described in today’s health tip show the benefit of adding a protein supplement to our low-protein meals and the importance of a high-quality protein supplement for minimizing age-related muscle loss.

For more information on these studies and what they mean for you, read the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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For more detail about FTC regulations for health claims, see this link.

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/health-products-compliance-guidance

______________________________________________________________________

About The Author

Dr Chaney also ran an active cancer research program at UNC and published over 100 scientific articles and reviews in peer-reviewed scientific journals. In addition, he authored two chapters on nutrition in one of the leading biochemistry text books for medical students.

How Much Protein Do Athletes Need?

August 29, 2017 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Position of the International Society of Sports Nutrition On Protein & Exercise

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

There is so much conflicting information about how much protein we should be getting. Some experts say we are eating too much. Others say we are eating too little. Some experts say we should just eat fruits and vegetables. Others say we should load up on meat. Some experts say athletes need more protein. Others say they get plenty of protein in the standard American diet. No wonder you are confused!

So, how much protein do athletes need?

Because of all the conflicting advice, I thought it would be worthwhile to share with you the International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Statement on protein and exercise (R. Jagr et al, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 14:20, 2017. DOI: 10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8).

How Much Protein Do Athletes Need?

Before summarizing the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommendations, I should start by pointing out that these recommendations are focused on the effect of protein on exercise performance. They are also focused more on high performance athletes than on those of us who are just trying to stay fit.

I have covered protein needs of people of all ages and exercise intensities in my article “How Much Protein Do You Need?” and will refer to that article from time to time.

Here are the ISSN recommendations:

#1: “An acute exercise stimulus, particularly resistance exercise, and protein ingestion both stimulate muscle protein synthesis and are synergistic”. In simple English, exercise and protein work synergistically to help you increase muscle mass.

#2: “For building and maintaining muscle mass…, an overall daily protein intake in the range of 0.6 – 0.9 gm/pound body weight/day is sufficient for most exercising individuals”. This is 1.7-2.5 times the RDA for sedentary individuals, and is more appropriate for elite athletes than for your average weekend warrior or fitness enthusiast.

Protein Requirements Calculator

They make the point that protein alone is sufficient for increasing muscle mass following resistance training. However, they also say that addition of carbohydrate to a protein supplement improves muscle glycogen recovery and reduces post-workout muscle soreness.

I also prefer some carbohydrate with a protein supplement because of a phenomenon called “protein sparing.” In brief, in the absence of carbohydrate, some of the ingested protein is converted to glucose to restore blood glucose levels and muscle glycogen stores. If you include carbohydrate with the protein, the carbohydrate will be used to restore blood glucose & glycogen, and all the protein can be used to increase muscle mass.

#3: “There is novel evidence that suggests higher protein intake (>1.36 gm/pound body weight/day) may promote loss of fat mass in resistance-trained individuals”. This recommendation is primarily for body builders.

#4: “Optimal protein intake per serving…depends on age and [the intensity of] recent resistance exercise. General recommendations are…a dose of 20-40g”. In general, young people require less protein following exercise than older people. I have covered age-specific protein recommendations in my article “How Much Protein Do You Need?”. As for intensity of exercise, most of us engage in moderate intensity exercise and should aim for the lower dose recommended by the ISSN. The higher dose is more appropriate for elite athletes engaged in high intensity training.

#5: “Acute protein doses should strive to contain 700-3,000 mg of leucine…in addition to a balanced array of the essential amino acids”. Older people also need more leucine than younger people. I have discussed age-related leucine needs in my article “Does Leucine Trigger Muscle Growth?”.

It is worth noting that in their position statement, the ISSN did not recommend any of the other ingredients that you often find in protein supplements.

#6: “These protein doses should be evenly distributed, every 3-4 h, across the day”. If you consume too much protein at one time, the excess will not be used for building muscle.

#7: “The optimal time period during which to ingest protein is likely a matter of individual tolerance…However, the anabolic effect of exercise is long-lasting (at least 24 h), but likely diminishes with increasing time post-exercise”. While the anabolic effect of exercise lasts for 24 hours or more, the maximum anabolic effect occurs during the first 2-4 hours after exercise. This is why a post-workout supplement is generally recommended immediately following a workout. Because there is a limit to how much protein can be consumed at any one time, additional protein should be consumed at regular intervals over the next 24 hours (recommendation #6).

#8: “While it is possible for physically active individuals to obtain their daily protein requirements through the consumption of whole foods, supplementation is a practical way of ensuring intake of adequate protein quality and quantity, while minimizing caloric intake.”

#9: “Rapidly digested proteins that contain high proportions of essential amino acids and adequate leucine are most effective in stimulating muscle protein synthesis.” This recommendation is most appropriate for protein(s) ingested during the acute 2-4 hour anabolic phase immediately after exercise. During the remaining 24 hours of the anabolic phase, it is more important to maintain a constant amino acid concentration in the bloodstream. For this reason, I generally recommend more slowly digested proteins, such as meat or soy, between 4 and 24 hours after exercise.

#10: “Different types and quality of protein can affect amino acid bioavailability following protein supplementation.” Simply put, there are a lot of “junk” protein supplements out there. Look for a manufacturer with a reputation for integrity and for product quality.

#11: “Athletes should consider focusing on whole food sources of protein that contain all the essential amino acids.” Simply put, you should avoid supplements that contain only a few selected amino acids. Instead, choose supplements that provide whole protein from natural sources. Leucine, for example, is very beneficial when added to a whole protein supplement containing all the essential amino acids, but leucine by itself would be of little value.

#12: “Endurance athletes should focus on achieving adequate carbohydrate intake to promote optimal performance; the addition of protein may help offset muscle damage and promote recovery.” In short, endurance athletes benefit from a combination of carbohydrate and protein, but carbohydrate is of primary importance.

#13: “Pre-sleep casein intake (30-40 g) provides increases in overnight muscle protein synthesis and metabolic rate without decreasing the overnight fat breakdown.” The definitive studies on this have been fairly recent. This recommendation is most appropriate for elite athletes who are primarily interested in increasing muscle mass. For the rest of us, calorie considerations would outweigh the small increment in muscle mass we could gain overnight.

The above gives a summary the ISSN statement on protein and exercise and offers an answer to the question how much protein do athletes need?

The Bottom Line

This article is different from my previous articles in that it is a summary. It would be pointless to make a summary of a summary, so I have done away with “The Bottom Line.” Read the article above for a quick summary of the International Society for Sports Nutrition position statement on protein and exercise.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

December 27, 2016 by Dr. Steve Chaney

Are You Getting Too Much Protein?

Author: Dr. Stephen Chaney

How much protein do you need? In a recent article entitled “Can You Get Too Much Protein?” the New York Times asserted that most Americans were getting too much protein in their diet. They went on to imply that protein supplements were useless at best and might be downright harmful at worst.

If you happened to read this article, you are probably wondering whether it is true or just another example of media bias. If you have read other articles about supplementation in the New York Times, you may have already suspected that they are biased against the use of supplements.

However, the problem goes way beyond media bias. In today’s online world everyone is a writer and everyone is an editor. More importantly, news is instant. Newspapers and journalists no longer have the time and resources to fully research a topic before they publish it. When a story comes along that fits their bias, the temptation is strong to publish it immediately.

In this issue of “Health Tips From the Professor” I will try to give you a more balanced perspective. If you would like other examples of a more balanced perspective, you might want to read articles from Harvard Medical School’s Health Publications newsletter or WebMD .

What Did The New York Times Get Right?

The New York Times didn’t completely miss the mark. Here are a few things that they got right:

Most Americans are getting more than the RDA for protein in their daily diets. They imply that is too much. However, the prevailing view among nutrition experts today is that the RDA is too low for some groups, and many Americans are getting too little protein, not too much.

They do acknowledge that there are groups who aren’t getting enough protein, for example – teenage girls, pregnant and lactating women, people over 60, and professional athletes. I would add, based on recent studies, that any adult who is engaged in a weight loss program and/or regular, vigorous workouts will also benefit from extra protein, especially after their workout. If you combine all those categories, we are talking about the majority of Americans not getting enough protein. The only exception is the otherwise healthy adults who are “couch potatoes”.

They are correct in saying that the average “couch potato” adult in the US doesn’t need more protein. However, even the “couch potatoes” among us would benefit from a healthy protein supplement in place of some of the high fat, high cholesterol animal protein they are eating. They don’t need more protein. They just need better protein.

Finally, they are correct in saying many protein supplements are either unsafe or suffer from poor quality control, topics I have covered in previous issues of “Health Tips From the Professor”. My advice is simple. Avoid those protein supplements making extravagant claims about “exploding” your muscles and giving you boundless energy. Also, choose protein supplements made by reputable companies that employ rigorous quality controls.

What Did The New York Times Get Wrong?

The main theme of their article was that most Americans were getting too much protein. They acknowledged that some nutritionists advocated consuming more protein but implied that most experts did not agree. That paradigm is 20 years old. The evidence has shifted. Most experts today feel that many Americans aren’t getting enough protein.

They warned high protein intake could be harmful. It could lead to increased risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease. Let’s put those claims into perspective.
- Increased risk of cancer is linked to high intake of animal protein, especially red meat and processed meats.
- Increased risk of heart disease and diabetes is linked to high intake of fat and cholesterol rich animal proteins.
- In short, for these diseases it’s the kind of protein, not the amount, that is the problem.
- As for kidney disease, it is clear that protein intake should be restricted when you have kidney disease. It is not clear that high protein intake can cause kidney disease in healthy adults.
Finally, they assumed that most people just added protein supplements to the protein they were already eating. If that were true, it might be a problem. However, most people use protein supplements in place of some of the high fat animal protein in their diet. They aren’t necessarily eating more protein. They are eating healthier protein.

What Do Recent Studies Show?

If we look at recent publications on the subject, it is clear the New York Times article did not accurately report what current studies show about protein needs of Americans. Here are just a few examples:

High protein diets improve physical function and weight loss in older adults. In this study participants on the high protein diet:

Lost 15% more weight than those on the low protein diet. More importantly, the high protein group had:
- 60% better retention of lean body mass (muscle).
- 25% better loss of fat mass.
They also performed substantially better on physical function tests than the low protein group. There was no exercise component to this study. The improvement in physical function was solely related to the better retention of muscle mass and the greater loss of fat mass in the high protein group.

High protein diets improve fat mass loss and muscle mass gain in young adults on a weight loss diet(American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103: 738-746, 2016). In this study the high protein group:

Had 33% greater loss of fat mass than the low protein group.

Increased muscle mass by an average of 2.6 pounds compared to no change in the low protein group.

High protein diets improve satiety (The Journal of Nutrition, 146: 637-645, 2016). In this study the high protein group:

Reported greater satiety and less hunger between breakfast and lunch.

Consumed 12% fewer calories at lunch.

These are just a few recent studies. There are dozens of other studies that come to the same conclusions about how much protein you need. This is the new paradigm.

Why do some studies still come up with negative results?

The problem may be in the experimental design of those studies. Here are two recent papers that give some hints as to why some studies might fail to see the benefit of protein supplementation.

Protein quality matters (Nutrition & Metabolism, doi: 10.1186/s12986-016-0124-8). This review concluded that protein quality, particularly the leucine content of the protein, was important in determining the effectiveness of that protein supplement in enhancing muscle mass increases following resistance training,

Spread protein throughout the day(American Journal of Physiology, endocrinology & Metabolism, 308: E734-E743, 2015 ). This study concluded that high protein intake is most effective at promoting muscle gain and weight loss when protein intake is spread evenly throughout the day.

In short, these studies suggest that good quality protein and good experimental design are essential if you wish to evaluate the role of additional protein on things like muscle mass and weight loss.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

What Do RDAs and Dietary Guidelines Say? Let’s start by looking at the RDA and how it has changed over the years. You probably have heard that the RDA is 46 grams of protein a day for women and 56 grams a day for men. However, that is misleading. The RDA for protein is based on body weight. The conversion is 0.36 grams of protein for every pound of body weight.

A simple calculation will tell you that 46 grams per day for women assumes they weigh 127 pounds, and 56 grams for men assumes they weigh 155 pounds. We haven’t seen those weights since the 50’s. Today the average weight for a 50-year-old woman is 170 pounds. The average weight for a 50-year-old man is 201 pounds. That translates into an RDA of 61 grams for the average woman and 72 grams for the average man.

You may have also heard that 10% of our calories from protein would meet our RDA requirements, and most Americans are currently getting around 16% of their calories from protein. The New York Times article implied that 16% of calories from protein was too much. Anything above that would be excessive, perhaps even dangerous.

What do the guidelines say? The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognizes individual variations in protein needs and recommends we get between 10% and 35% of our daily calories from protein. For a 2,000 calorie diet that represents between 50 and 175 grams of protein/day.

What Are The Experts Saying? Experts are not just recommending more protein for some groups. They are making specific recommendations for how much protein people in those groups should be getting. How much protein do you need?

If you are an inactive, otherwise healthy, middle-aged adult, 10% of your calories from protein or 0.36 grams of protein a day per pound of body weight is sufficient. However, you would probably benefit from healthier protein choices.

If you are a teenage girl, your protein requirements are only slightly higher than a woman in your 20s. However, teenage diets are often not what they should be. You may not be getting the protein you need. Aim for around 0.38 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day.

If you are pregnant or lactating, your protein requirements are between 0.47 and 0.56 grams per pound of body weight per day. That represents a 30-55% increase in protein requirements. Your developing baby needs the extra protein. Be sure you are getting enough.

If you are over 50, you are probably losing a little muscle mass every day (a condition referred to as sarcopenia). To offset that muscle loss, most experts on aging recommend seniors increase their protein intake to around 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. Ideally, that protein should be spread evenly throughout the day with about 25-30 grams of protein per meal. Leucine needs are increased as well, so leucine-rich protein sources are best. I’ve covered this topic in detail in a previous issue Protein Needs of Older Adults of “Health Tips From the Professor.”

If you are an elite athlete, the International Society For Sports Nutrition recommends 0.63 to 0.9 grams of leucine-rich protein per pound per day. That is 1.7 to 2.5 times the RDA for sedentary adults.

If you are not an athlete, but work out on a regular basis, you will achieve better muscle gain from your workouts if you consume leucine-rich protein after each workout. If you are a young adult, 15-20 grams will suffice. If you are an older adult 20-25 grams is a better target. I’ve also covered this topic in a previous issue Leucine Trigger Muscle Growth of “Health Tips From the Professor.”

If you are trying to lose weight, diets providing about 0.72 grams of leucine-rich protein per pound (~ 2X the RDA or 28% of the total calories) appear to be more effective than RDA levels of protein at preserving muscle mass and reducing fat mass. Again, this topic is covered in a previous issue High Protein Diets and Weight Loss of “Health Tips From the Professor.”

Higher protein intake is most effective when coupled with resistance (weight bearing) exercise.

Higher protein intake is also most effective when spread throughout the day rather concentrated in a post-workout supplement or at a single meal.

The Bottom Line

A recent New York Times article asserted that most Americans were already getting too much protein in their diets and that dietary protein supplements were either unnecessary or dangerous.

That paradigm is at least 20 years out of date. Today, most experts agree that many Americans are getting too little protein in their diet.

Groups most likely to need additional protein are teenage girls, pregnant and lactating women, adults over 50, elite athletes, people who work out regularly, and people on weight loss diets.

The only group routinely getting more than enough protein from their diets are otherwise healthy, adult “couch potatoes,” and most of them would benefit from healthier protein choices in their diet.

Increased protein intake is best utilized when coupled with resistance (weight-bearing) exercise. It is also best utilized when spread out evenly throughout the day rather than being concentrated in a single post-workout supplement or a single meal.

The most current guidelines for protein needs of various groups are given in the article above.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.