Does Increasing Protein Intake Slow Age-Related Muscle Mass Loss?

Adding extra protein to the diets of older men and women is put to the test for slowing the loss of muscle mass.

There is something that can help when added to a progressive strength-training regimen. See What Is Creatine? Can It Treat Sarcopenia (Muscle Loss with Age)? ( ) and Are There Any Side Effects to Taking Creatine? ( ).

Learn about the connection between creatine and homocysteine in my videos Should Vegetarians Take Creatine to Normalize Homocysteine? ( ) and The Efficacy and Safety of Creatine for High Homocysteine ( ).

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-Michael Greger, MD FACLM

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Leroy Johnson
 

  • @elisacohenusa says:

    It’s so interesting that so many exercise professionals tout the benefits of at least one gram of protein per pound for hypertrophy. I hope Dr Gregor is right because I can’t choke down that much protein every day.

    • @clemsonteach80 says:

      Somehow the .8g/kg got switched to .8g/lb. Could have been simple failure to convert properly or maybe something more diabolical by the meat and dairy industry to get us to eat more protein?

    • @pamtewes5276 says:

      @@elisacohenusa I agree. Processing that much protein is tough on kidneys. 1g per pound feels so forced. I end up relying on processed protein, which defeats my purpose of getting to a whole foods. I am sticking to fruits and veggies with protein secondary

    • @BenediktLohmann says:

      It’s probably 0.7 g/lb for best results anyway

    • @TravisHowrish-v2c says:

      If protein built muscle then the general population would all be muscular. Intense, progressive weight training builds muscle, not protein.

    • @Parker_Miller_M.S. says:

      @@TravisHowrish-v2c resistance training sparks muscle protein synthesis but eating protein is needed. One will not grow muscle without protein if they lift, not will they gain muscle if they only eat protein and don’t train

  • @adamd9418 says:

    The increase in organ size and water retention is a bit concerning! Looks like resistance training is much more important than protein intake. The heavy metal issue in protein powders is also concerning.

    • @TXKurt says:

      Maybe you need a larger liver and kidneys to deal with all the protein.

    • @Parker_Miller_M.S. says:

      Just look for protein powders that are informed choice, informed sport, or NSF certified for sport to ensure contamination is below detectable (and by consequence likely harmful levels)

    • @CharGC123 says:

      @@Parker_Miller_M.S. Why bother?

    • @Parker_Miller_M.S. says:

      @@CharGC123 protein powders are convenient and generally high quality ways to get protein in the diet. Are they necessary, no I wouldn’t say that. But they can make life easier especially when traveling to get in one’s desired amount of daily protein.

  • @rationalsage1084 says:

    What about in young people?

  • @Alexander-ok7fm says:

    Thank you!

  • @misterx3188 says:

    Thanks.

  • @spencerprice1676 says:

    Really big if true. But seriously, this might be busting one of the biggest beliefs (myths?) in nutrition

  • @StancyInTheCity says:

    They chose such an inflammatory protein source in that first study.

  • @JenniferKBrown says:

    So cool!

  • @JBBII says:

    Now I’m absolutely, totally confused! My doctor lectured me on increasing my protein to prevent age related sarcopenia. I can’t read studies and I’m not a nutritionist. I rely on my doctor for diet recommendations. When I argue I get plenty of protein on a plant based diet, he directs me to numerous studies showing the benefits of increased protein. And now your video has numerous studies showing the opposite. Who am I supposed to believe!

    • @zukodude487987 says:

      It will depend on the quality of the studies and how these studies measure out in the larger scheme of studies.

    • @Test7017 says:

      Body builders are laughin😅😅😅😅😅g

    • @michaelsykes1645 says:

      I’d just maintain the higher protein intake, because the potential negative health consequences of increasing protein intake (in the context of a generally health dietary pattern) are minuscule in comparison to the negative health consequences of sarcopenia. The general scientific consensus seems to be that as you age, it is beneficial to slightly increase protein intake (hence why it is in most International dietary recommendations).

      I respect Dr Greger, and the idea definitely warrants further study. But the whole concept is pretty insignificant in the when you zoom out.

      I think it’s best to not stress out, and to just make consistent healthy choices – with a few treats here and there to maintain happiness 🙂

    • @SuperDodoe says:

      “you dont want doctors as your friend” Dr John McDougall

    • @Julottt says:

      ” I rely on my doctor for diet recommendations, Who am I supposed to believe?”

      Already certainly not the vast majority of doctors, here is why:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z84_LwPzAKw

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZbQvTxYYf8

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7QJJl_Msfw

  • @GoustiFruit says:

    Do proteins have an effect on recovery after workouts ?

  • @YouTherapy says:

    I’m so confused. My fibromyalgia Dr., along with menopause experts, urge me to get more protein, but these studies suggest it doesn’t matter. After menopause, should we still strive for .8 g per lb of body weight, or just stop being concerned about protein altogether? I really appreciate the meta analysis, btw!

  • @AndrewPawley11 says:

    I love this channel!

  • @ronviers says:

    i didn’t supplement with protein isolates for years but after adding a teaspoon of creatine i tried it, eventually landing at three tbsp/day (one per meal) and found it did add a few lbs of muscle mass but mostly my body became happier with the rebalance of macros in terms of digestion, satiation, stool consistency and regularity – plus we shouldn’t be dismissive of increasing the body’s ability to retain water when doing large amounts of cardio/resistance exercise, even with the added water retention i still need to drink a sports drink after getting super sweaty (which is almost daily), so the increased water storage creates a buffer for electrolyte depletion. this is a personal account, ymmv

  • @SuperDodoe says:

    Excellent I guess that answers the question ” Where do you get your protein from?”

  • @AeceDece says:

    Me = 59 yo, 190lbs, very active, lift weighs, etc. So…. 50 = too little. Over 100 = too much. Moderation of about 75 = a perfect balance 😊 between Gregor vs dozens of others.

  • @SteveHuffer says:

    As a very active 50-year-old (almost vegan) vegetarian of 10 years, I was under the impression that Creatine supplement, added to on-demand protein (10 minutes after strenuous exercise) would be beneficial. I have noticed better recovery since i began supplementing (at least on my fitness apps, which I tend to look at every month or so) and have noticed an uptick in my general energy levels (although this could easily be placebo effect, obviously). My diet otherwise is fairly good.

    Edit: I don’t smoke and rarely drink alcohol.

    Are there any tests for active, older vegetarians in this respect?

  • @LG-zd1um says:

    I wonder how aggressive the resistance training was in these studies? You don’t build muscle until you go to muscle failure in your exercise routine.

  • @SenorSS says:

    So, is doctor Rhonda Patrick wrong? She, along with her expert guests say the complete opposite. Who’s right?

  • @jcools310 says:

    I’m confused. This video suggests in virtually all ways you could test added protein with older ppl had no significant effect and if it did it was with resistance training. However there has been a lot of papers and evidence that looking at adding more protein to older ppl who even Dr Luongo’s master thesis is “add more protein as you get older and older ppl don’t utilize protein like when they’re younger.” Even his life’s work says that. I’m a bit confused. Logically if the older we get the less we utilize protein and the older we get the less muscle and frailty we inherently get, and we know you need protein to build and spare muscle wasting/loss when we have too little protein. Again, what am I missing?

  • @richvanasse4401 says:

    So … based on this, can you conclude that muscle growth has less to do with protein availability – or is it possible that the studies failed to include an ongoing analysis of protein consumed vs protein digested? Anecdotally, I’m 72 y.o. and suffer from lower energy states if I’m exercising with hypertrophy in mind during my resistance workouts. If I supplement with HCl, I experience much more stability and can keep going longer. How about trials of seniors where the stool is frequently analyzed to answer questions about protein ingested vs protein digested? At the least, I’d like to see results from seniors who are diagnosed as protein deficient, who received supplementation with amino acids (wouldn’t that theoretically remove any concerns about absorption?)

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