Fighting Sarcopenia in Ageing European Adults: The Importance of the Amount and Source of Dietary Proteins

Abstract

While an adequate protein intake is important for the maintenance of muscle mass during ageing, the amount and source of protein necessary for optimal prevention of sarcopenia remains to be determined. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of the amount and source of dietary proteins on sarcopenia risk in a cohort of 65–79-year-old European adults within the frame of the NU-AGE study. A total of 986 participants were included in the analysis. Skeletal muscle index (SMI), assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and handgrip strength (HG) were employed to create a continuous sex-specific sarcopenia risk score (SRS). Total amount together with animal- and plant-derived sources of proteins were obtained from a 7-day food record. Differences in SRS were analysed across groups of total protein intake (<0.8 g/body weight (BW); 0.8–<1.0 g/BW; 1.0–<1.2 g/BW; and ≥1.2 g/BW). The association between SRS and the different sources of protein was assessed using isocaloric substitution models adjusted by demographic, medical, and lifestyle factors. A significant linear dose-response relationship was observed, with a lower SRS linked to higher protein intakes. Based on the isocaloric substitution modelling, a reduced SRS was observed when increasing plant protein to the detriment of animal protein, while holding total protein intake constant. Further, this result remained significant after stratifying the analysis by adherence to different levels of protein intake. Our findings suggest that older adults may benefit from increasing protein intakes above current recommendations. Besides total amount, protein source should be considered when promoting health dietary habits in older adults for the prevention of sarcopenia.

Prevalence and factors contributing to primary sarcopenia in relatively healthy older Indians attending the outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital: A cross‐sectional study

“… 27 , 28 Prior and ongoing consumption of good quality protein is essential to maintain muscle bulk and prevent loss of muscle function. 29 , 30 , 31 Indian diets are predominantly cereal‐based and possess relatively poor‐quality protein when compared with legumes, meat, milk, or milk‐based products. One of the reasons for an increase in the burden of sarcopenia in India is probably due to an insufficient quantity and quality of protein intake at a younger age, leading to a lower baseline muscle mass.…”

Healthy Eating Is Associated with Sarcopenia Risk in Physically Active Older Adults

“…Moreover, the observed link between HDS and SRS was independent of both total macronutrient intake and adherence to guidelines for protein intake, which suggests that dietary quality can elicit beneficial impacts on the preservation of muscle health that are separate from those driven by adequate amounts of daily protein intake. Indeed, adequate protein intake is an established core dietary element linked to muscle mass and function [ 22 , 32 ] and an intake of at least 1.1 g·kg −1 BW infers beneficial effects on muscle mass and muscle function in older adults [ 9 ]. Therefore, in addition to the importance of protein intake, particular attention should be paid to the overall diet quality when conceptualizing nutritional approaches aiming to mitigate sarcopenia risk in older adults.…”

“…Secondly, the three sex-specific standardized variables were averaged into one single SRS variable. Importantly, the SRS cannot classify whether individuals have sarcopenia, but rather denotes higher or lower risk of sarcopenia based on an aggregation of sarcopenia risk components as used in previous work [ 22 ].…”

The Effects of Lifestyle and Diet on Gut Microbiota Composition, Inflammation and Muscle Performance in Our Aging Society

“…Resistance training can build muscle mass and increase strength as we age, and therefore offers the most effective non-pharmacological intervention to prevent physical limitations with advancing age. Furthermore, increasing protein intakes in favour of plant-derived proteins [222] as well as a higher demand of specific nutrients (such as leucine, n3-PUFAs, and vitamin D) should be considered in older adults, especially in women, to overcome anabolic resistance and to further support exercise-induced adaptations and successful immune aging [2] (see Section 4).…”