Protein is important for muscle.
But eating more protein alone is not the complete answer to maintaining muscle as we age.
Muscle also needs to be used.
Protein provides the building blocks
Dietary protein supplies amino acids that the body uses to maintain and repair muscle tissue.
This makes adequate protein intake an important part of healthy aging.
But providing building blocks does not automatically tell the body to build or preserve more muscle.
That is where exercise becomes important.
Resistance exercise gives muscle a reason to adapt
Resistance exercise means working your muscles against a load.
That can include weights, resistance machines, resistance bands or exercises using your own body weight.
This type of exercise stimulates muscle to adapt. Protein provides the amino acids needed to support that response.
The two therefore work together.
In randomized trials comparing plant and animal proteins, improvements in muscle outcomes were particularly evident in studies that also included resistance training.
This is why focusing only on the type of protein can miss an important part of the picture.
More protein cannot replace exercise
Simply increasing protein intake should not be considered a substitute for using your muscles.
Likewise, regular resistance exercise should be supported by adequate nutrition.
For healthy aging, the practical strategy is to combine the two:
use your muscles regularly and provide them with adequate protein.
Protein can come from animal foods such as fish, eggs and dairy products or from plant foods such as soy, beans, lentils, peas, nuts and seeds.
The best approach does not depend on one particular protein food or supplement.
It depends on building a dietary pattern and an exercise routine that can be maintained over time.
Muscle health is part of healthy aging
Preserving muscle helps support strength, mobility and physical independence.
That makes resistance exercise and adequate nutrition relevant long before significant muscle loss develops.
Maintaining muscle is not something to start thinking about only in old age.
It is part of protecting physical function throughout adulthood.
