Benefits of Additional Protein Intake by Masters Athletes

This is an excerpt from High-Performance Nutrition for Masters Athletes by Lauren Antonucci.

New research has demonstrated that older adults (70-85 years old) were able to increase lean body mass, muscle strength, and muscle power following a six-month trial that included supervised and progressive resistance training three times a week as well as 40 grams per day of whey protein supplement (Chalé et al. 2012).

In chapter 6 we will discuss at length the extent to which protein intake needs to be altered as we age in order to increase our ability to perform high-intensity and resistance training throughout our lifetime and thus increase and preserve lean muscle mass. There, you will learn to overcome age-related decline with muscle-building protein. See figure 2.1 for a pictorial description of the importance of protein.