Make consistent resistance training the baseline of your fitness routine, as it is the most essential factor for muscle adaptation and overall health, even more important than minor protein distribution worries.
Engage in physical activity, such as an exercise session before food intake, to significantly overcome anabolic resistance, especially important for older adults to improve muscle’s response to protein.
Leverage resistance exercise to fully overcome the negative effects of hormonal changes (e.g., menopause, androgen deficiency therapy) on muscle mass and strength, as exercise is a more potent stimulus than hormonal shifts.
Shift your mindset to view sedentarism as a disease, and physical activity as the necessary antidote, rather than just a ‘medicine,’ to align with the body’s natural need for movement.
Prevent chronic metabolic diseases by avoiding excess energy intake from any macronutrient (glucose, fat, or protein), as oversupply of nutrients can lead to resistance and health issues.
When undergoing energy restriction for weight loss, maintain your absolute daily protein intake to attenuate muscle mass decline, as the body adapts to a certain amount of protein and sudden reductions can impact muscle.
For muscle mass and strength gains, especially with resistance training, consume more protein than the minimal recommended amount, aiming for 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.
Optimize muscle conditioning by distributing protein evenly throughout the day, aiming for 20 to 25 grams of high-quality protein in each main meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to provide consistent anabolic stimuli.
Engage in exercise regardless of age, as muscle turnover (breakdown and synthesis) occurs daily even at 85, and exercise is the only way to maintain or increase muscle mass.
Do not overly worry about consuming protein immediately before or after exercise, as physical activity sensitizes muscle to protein’s anabolic effects for up to 24 to 48 hours, making consistency of training and meals more important.
Aim to obtain most of your nutrients from whole food sources rather than relying primarily on supplements, using supplements mainly for practical feasibility in specific situations.
Regularly engage in physical activity, as it makes the body more efficient at utilizing ingested protein, converting more of it to muscle and optimizing muscle reconditioning.
Avoid cold water immersion immediately after resistance or endurance training, especially during the first six hours, as it can blunt muscle protein synthesis and compromise acute recovery; consider doing it in the evening or the next day instead.
If you are overweight or obese, base your protein requirements on your fat-free mass rather than total body weight, as fat mass is less metabolically active and does not require as much protein for turnover.
If your total daily protein intake is high (e.g., over 75 grams) or you exercise in the evening, consider adding a protein-rich snack before bed to stimulate muscle protein synthesis overnight without blunting the next morning’s anabolic response.
For individuals in the hospital, especially those not exercising or eating less due to pain, strive to maintain their normal protein intake to attenuate muscle loss.
If you are a healthy, sedentary person, don’t overthink the exact ‘sweet spot’ for protein intake, as most individuals naturally consume between 1 and 1.3 grams per kilogram of body weight daily, which is generally sufficient.
You can still gain muscle mass while practicing time-restricted eating (TRE) if you maintain sufficient protein intake and engage in resistance training at least three times a week.
Understand that initial strength gains from resistance training are primarily neuromuscular and will precede visible increases in muscle mass, so manage expectations and continue training for long-term muscle growth.
Customize exercise programs for older adults based on their individual goals and starting fitness levels, ranging from functional movements like standing from a toilet to more advanced gym routines.
If you are physically active, healthy, not overweight or obese, and do not smoke or consume excess alcohol, you generally do not need to worry about high protein intake causing atherosclerosis.
Recognize that while exercise causes acute stressors like inflammation and oxidative stress, it ultimately sets off a powerful process that leads to improved long-term health and well-being.
Improve protein digestion and absorption by sitting upright while eating and chewing your food thoroughly, as these habits can significantly impact nutrient uptake.
Cook eggs to denature the protein, which results in a more rapid release of amino acids into circulation, potentially leading to a quicker anabolic response compared to raw eggs.
Mincing or finely cutting meat, along with thorough chewing, can significantly improve the rate of protein digestion and absorption.
When total food intake is very low or health is compromised (e.g., bedridden, inflammation), pay extra attention to protein quality, preparation (e.g., minced meat), and even eating posture (sitting upright) to maximize nutrient utilization.
If consuming proteins of lower quality (e.g., some plant-based sources), compensate by increasing the overall quantity to ensure adequate intake of essential amino acids.
Be aware that achieving sufficient protein intake from plant-based whole foods (e.g., potatoes, beans) requires consuming larger quantities compared to animal sources.
Recognize that plant-based whole foods may have lower protein digestibility due to anti-nutritional factors and fiber, making protein extraction less efficient.
Plant-based protein extracts (e.g., pea protein) can be as effective as dairy protein for stimulating muscle protein synthesis when consumed in sufficient doses (e.g., 30 grams) due to their high digestibility.
Vegans can effectively gain muscle mass by supplementing with plant-based protein powders, especially at high enough doses, to match the muscle gains of those consuming animal-based protein supplements.
To achieve a balanced amino acid profile, especially for vegans, combine different plant-based proteins (e.g., wheat and beans, or various plant protein isolates) to compensate for individual amino acid deficiencies (e.g., methionine, lysine, leucine).
When selecting a protein supplement, choose a protein isolate if you desire pure protein with minimal other components, or a concentrate if some lactose, fat, or other substances are acceptable.
For sustained muscle protein synthesis, ensure a sufficient supply of all essential amino acids, not just leucine, as both signaling and building blocks are crucial for the process.
Select whey protein for its higher leucine content, which has strong signaling properties that stimulate the mTOR pathway and initiate the anabolic cascade for muscle protein synthesis.
While differences exist between protein supplements like whey, casein, and egg protein in terms of digestion kinetics and leucine content, these differences are very small and likely minimal in real-world dietary contexts.
While higher protein intake can be beneficial for muscle gain, consuming protein beyond approximately 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight is generally not necessary or relevant for further benefits.
Pay attention to omega-3 fatty acids, as recent research indicates they can help prevent muscle wasting and atrophy associated with aging and disuse, playing a crucial role in maintaining muscle health.
For high-intensity intermittent exercise that causes significant muscle damage and inflammation, cold water immersion may offer benefits by dampening down these effects and improving acute performance, but it is not for optimizing muscle reconditioning.
Do not expect collagen supplementation to directly increase muscle protein synthesis, as studies have not shown this effect due to its amino acid composition being lower quality for muscle building.
Recognize that collagen is not a high-quality protein for muscle building because approximately 50% of its composition is proline and glycine, resulting in a lower content of essential amino acids needed for muscle protein synthesis.
Consider collagen supplementation for the repair of collagen-rich tissues such as cartilage, bone, tendons, and ligaments, especially after surgery, where there is a high demand for renewing these structures.
Utilize collagen as a good source of glycine and proline, amino acids that are abundant in collagen-rich tissues and may be less prevalent in modern diets.
While collagen provides specific amino acids, there is currently no evidence to suggest it is superior to an equivalent amount of amino acids from high-quality dairy or other protein sources for increasing connective tissue protein synthesis.
If there is an unbalanced need for specific amino acids, consider sources that are richer in those particular amino acids; for example, collagen is rich in glycine and proline.
Understand that hydroxyproline, increased in circulation after collagen ingestion, is not a direct precursor for collagen incorporation but might have an unconfirmed stimulatory or signaling effect.
Be aware that modern diets, often lacking traditional foods like bone broth and being highly processed, may be low in glycine and proline, which collagen supplementation could help provide.
Naturally increase growth hormone and testosterone levels through exercise, as these hormones, in turn, support connective tissue protein synthesis, with exercise being a more potent stimulus than hormonal changes alone.
Download the free Omega-3 Supplementation Guide at fmfomega3guide.com to learn how to choose a quality omega-3 supplement, determine the best dose, and find answers to frequently asked questions.
Access the free Cognitive Enhancement Blueprint at BDNFprotocols.com to discover curated protocols for enhancing cognitive health and safeguarding against cognitive aging by stimulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
Upload your genetic data (e.g., from 23andMe, AncestryDNA) to foundmyfitness.com/genetics to receive a free basic fitness genetic report, which provides insights into genes related to endurance, VO2 max, muscle fatigue, and injury susceptibility.
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