There’s a saying that goes “Growing old is not for the faint of heart.”  However, there is one condition you can prevent or at least greatly reduce the beginning of it before you even reach old age – Sarcopenia.  This may an unfamiliar word to you but all of us are at risk for it.  Sarcopenia is the involuntary, gradual loss of muscle mass and strength as we age and it affects 30% of people over the age of 60 and 50% of people age 80 and older. This condition does not distinguish between gender, ethnicity or where we live. 

Once it occurs, losing muscle mass can affect us in the following ways:

• Increased risk of falls and fractures
• Frailty
• Difficulty with walking
• Decrease in stamina
• Decrease in muscle strength
• Weak bones – osteoporosis
• Loss of physical function and independence

Above is what happens to our muscles when sarcopenia sets in.  Sarcopenia can begin as early as age 30, progressing gradually reducing muscle tissue by 3 – 8% per decade.  The muscle we lose is replaced with fat, even when body weight remains unchanged.  Even thin people can still have a high percent body fat content if they do little to maintain muscle mass leading to sarcopenia.

The key to preventing sarcopenia is being proactive while aging in preserving as much muscle mass as possible.  The earlier you start, the more likely you can maintain adequate muscle mass to be able to enjoy an active lifestyle well into old age.

Two ways to be proactive against sarcopenia

1.  Weight training.  Lifting weights two to three times a week is very effective in maintaining muscle tissue and improves bone health, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.  If you don’t want to lose muscle mass, you’ve got to lift some weight to maintain it.

2.   Adequate protein.  Even though most people in the United States are not protein deficient, there are a couple of reasons why we still have a high percentage of people developing sarcopenia.  One is protein quality and the second is protein distribution.

Protein Quality

Protein comes from 2 sources – animal (beef, lamb, pork, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy foods) and plants (grains, beans, nuts, seeds and vegetables).

There are a total of 20 different amino acids which are the building blocks of protein.  Out of this 20, nine of them cannot be made by the body and therefore are called “essential amino acids” and have to come from food sources. – the other 11 amino acids our body can make.  These 9 amino acids are important in helping stimulate and support muscle protein synthesis.

Animal sources of protein, along with soybeans, provide all of the 9 essential amino acids and are referred to as high-quality or a complete protein.  Plant sources of protein do not contain all 9 essential amino acids and are referred to as low-quality or incomplete protein.  However, plant sources of protein can be combined with one another to form a more complete protein such as combining rice and beans. 

Several studies have shown that consuming moderate amounts (25-30 grams) of high-quality or animal sources at each meal is necessary to stimulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis or to build muscle.  This leads to less lean muscle mass being lost and a slower progression of sarcopenia.

The chart below shows the amount of a plant source of protein it would take to reach 25 grams of protein that just 3 ounces of lean beef provides.  

Protein Distribution

The distribution of protein throughout the day determines how well your body is able to utilize the protein to help build lean muscle mass.

Dr. Douglas Paddon-Jones, a researcher at the University of Texas, shows the difference between an adequate and inadequate protein distribution with the graph below.  Part B is typical of how most of us tend to distribute our protein intake over the course of a day.

Breakfast is typically our smallest meal with usually only a small amount of protein; lunch is slightly more but dinner tends to be when we consume the majority of protein.  This uneven distribution of protein during the day is not as effective towards protein building or synthesis needed to maintain muscle mass.  It is more effective to distribute protein intake evenly at each meal like it shows in part A on the graph. 

Consuming 25-30 grams of protein evenly at each meal is better for efficient muscle building and repair.  Consuming more than 30 grams is more than what the body will use with the excess amount being converted to fat or glucose and not towards muscle synthesis.  Essentially, you’re wasting excess protein at a meal if it’s more than 30 grams.  Your body needs available essential amino acids throughout the day for muscle building and not just coming in all at one time.  Research has shown that when protein distribution is evenly distributed amongst each meal, muscle protein synthesis was about 25% greater than when protein distribution was skewed more toward the evening meal. 

What does 25-30 grams of protein at each meal look like?

Here is an example of a one day meal plan containing 25-30 grams of protein at each meal:

Breakfast – ½ cup cooked oatmeal with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, ½ cup blueberries, 1 scrambled egg, and 1 cup of low-fat milk – 27 grams of protein

Lunch – 3 ounces salmon with a spinach salad and ½ cup black beans, 1 cup grapes and 1 cup baby carrots – about 30 grams

Dinner – 4 ounces of beef steak, 1 baked potato, 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt and 1 cup steamed broccoli – about 30 grams

It doesn’t take huge amounts of protein to reach 25-30 grams at each meal.  It just takes being more conscientious about planning meals to reach that 25-30 gram optimal amount.

To sum it up, sarcopenia doesn’t have to happen to you.  Be proactive by:

• Incorporating exercise and weight lifting to build muscle mass.
• Consuming high-quality protein at each meal.
• Distributing protein intake to 25-30 grams per meal.

Starting today, outsmart sarcopenia with every weight you lift and bite of protein you eat.  Your strong, toned muscles will thank you for that.  

ABOUT CHERYL MUSSATTO

REGISTERED DIETITIAN

Cheryl Mussatto has over 30 years of experience as a Registered Dietitian and has worked in a variety of settings that cover a wide span of nutrition experience.  Currently she works as an adjunct professor for two community colleges, Allen Community College in Burlingame and Butler Community College in Council Grove, Kansas teaching two courses, Basic Nutrition and Therapeutic Nutrition. Cheryl also is a contributing author for osagecountyonline.com, an online newspaper and Edietitians, a global free nutritional and health magazine. Her articles for both publications pertain to nutrition topics that cover a diversity of health and nutrition interests for the general public.  She is also certified as a health and wellness coach.