⭑ A little more meat has more benefits as we age ✔ New research
⭑ Your new daily protein goal, and why ✔ The floor, minimum and ceiling amounts
⭑ Muscle mass in healthy adults aging faster than age ✔ Turn this around
⭑ Measure benefits of eating more protein with this exercise ✔ Keep track

All strength to Ukraine 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

Hello,

I trust you are well and active.

This week's newsletter picks up on the benefits of eating more protein, prompted by a study which found that eating a little more meat was beneficial and not to our detriment as we often hear. See item #1.

This led me to revisit the reasons to eat more protein as we age, which is because we become up to 25% less efficient at metabolising it - see item #2.

And speaking of "25%" another new study found that 25% of healthy adults have muscles which are declining in mass faster than their age. And strength declines 2 to 5 times faster than muscle mass. See item #3 and how to reverse this decline.

Finally, after boosting your protein intake (item #1) set up a little "trial" to measure the results - do this exercise and keep track of how it becomes easier - see item #3.
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01 Eat - More - Meat - But Not Much More

It’s rare to hear “eat a little more meat” as the anti-aging prescription. You’ve probably heard the old line: "Too much meat will kill you early."

It's one of those health rules that's been repeated so often, it feels like gospel. But what if the science just flipped the script entirely? What if the key to a healthier, more energetic you after 50 wasn't less meat, but the right amount?

A recent McMaster University study (16,000 adults aged 50–85) found no increased risk of heart-disease or all-cause death among those eating more animal protein. In fact, cancer mortality dropped 5–10 %.

This suggests that quality animal protein, when consumed as part of a balanced diet, isn’t the villain many have made it out to be.

So, why might this be the case? It comes down to the building blocks of protein: amino acids.

Animal proteins are "complete" proteins, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that our bodies can't produce. These powerful compounds are crucial for countless bodily processes, including muscle repair and immune system function—two things that can start to decline as we age.

What this means for you: You now need more steak, salmon, eggs, or Greek yogurt—not less—to keep your legs strong and your brain sharp.

⇒ Easy daily plan (example for a 75 kg/165 lb adult aiming 1.6 g/kg = 120 g)
• Breakfast: 3 eggs + spinach (18 g)
• Lunch: 5 oz grilled chicken (35 g)
• Snack: 1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt (20 g)
• Dinner: 5 oz salmon (30 g)
• Bedtime: 1 scoop whey in milk (17 g)

The most important factor is actually distribution: split your total across at least two meals so each feeding spikes muscle-building signals. Four palm-sized servings of animal protein (fish, poultry, eggs, Greek yogurt) will do the trick—no shaker bottle required.

Caveat: The McMaster study was funded by the beef industry, but the University says that the sponsors had no role in design or analysis.

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02 Protein After 60: Why You Need More

I've written about this before, but given the findings in the research above I thought that is is worth emphasising that although the 1.6 g/kg of protein per day is fine, and if you stick with it you will do well, there is a reason to eat even more protein.

A 2022 meta-analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that because older muscle is 25% less efficient at using amino acids, the true minimum requirement is higher than officially recommended by health authorities.

⇒ The verdict is in: crossing 1.2 g/kg cut frailty risk by 31% in a 12-week trial.

What this means for you... 1.2 g/kg is the new floor; 1.6 g/kg is the new minimum; and 2.2 g/kg is the new ceiling for staying sturdy after 60.

⇒ Know your range: Aim for 1.2–2.2 g/kg daily. A 70 kg (154 lb) senior needs 84–154 grams—roughly double the old 0.8 g/kg advice.

You can run your own experiment to feel the difference:

1. Weigh yourself and multiply by 1.6 (minimum) or 2.2 (ceiling) to find your target range.
2. Spread it out: Aim for about 0.4 g/kg per meal (≈ 28 grams for a 70 kg person) at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
3. Track your progress: Do a round of chair sit-to-stands and note how feel after 10 to 20. Retest your chair-stands twice each week—you should notice a positive difference after about 12 weeks. See item #4.

⇒ Important: if you have a pre-existing kidney condition, it’s always best to consult your doctor before upping your protein intake.​​​​

@Medium - Follow me on Medium ↗, covering ⭑food, ⭑brain, ⭑body, ⭑life

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03 Muscle Age Outpaces Body Age in 25% of Adults

Feeling a little weaker as the years go by?

It’s easy to think that a decline in strength is just an inevitable part of getting older. But what if I told you that scientists have found a new way to measure your muscle age, and that it doesn’t have to match your actual age?

A groundbreaking study published this year in the journal Aging has unveiled a new “muscular clock” that predicts the risk of age-related muscle loss.

Researchers developed a tool called Muscle Age Acceleration (MAA) and discovered something remarkable: nearly 25% of the healthy adults in the study were experiencing accelerated muscle aging.

⇒ That means a quarter of the group had muscles that were aging faster than they were!

What this means for you... The most important takeaway is a number you won’t hear much about: 2-5 times faster.

That’s how much faster your strength can decline compared to your muscle mass.

While you might not see it on the scale or in the mirror, you’re likely losing strength at a much more rapid rate. This isn’t about becoming a bodybuilder. It’s about maintaining your independence and quality of life as you age.

⇒ The single most effective way to fight this decline is with progressive resistance training.

This means using a small weight, a band, or even your own body weight to challenge your muscles, then slowly increasing the resistance over time. This is a powerful and proven strategy to build muscle and reverse the effects of aging on your strength. Mix it with aerobics and a good diet and over time you will be in the group whose muscles are aging slower than your age.

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04 Chair Sit-To-Stands, Slow Is Better

This week's exercise is... the classic chair sit-to-stand, with 6 variations.

The sit-to-stand directly strengthens the major muscles in your lower body, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes, and also helps to maintain your bone density and joint health.

In our case, we are using the improvement in your ability to perform the exercise as a measure of the positive benefits of eating more protein daily.

What this means for you: Do them twice weekly, and follow the form in this youtube video, where 6 variations are shown.
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You can follow the video and set a goal of completing 10 in 20 seconds, or for a much more powerful muscle strengthening routine stand quickly and lower over 4 seconds, and aim for 10 reps taking 50 seconds.

The combination of the extra protein and this exercise should have you bounding out of the chair before Xmas!​​​​​​​​​​​​

Thanks for reading!

>> My Latest Blog Post: Energise Your Golden Years: Boosting Your Desire to Exercise with Gut-Healthy Foods​

About the newsletter: Do you think it can be improved? Have a story idea? Want to share about the time you met Chris Hemsworth, or your questions about how to live longer better? Send those thoughts and more to me at walter@walteradamson.com

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