Adequate protein intake
Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · Evidence-graded review — see Methodology
Most adults eat enough protein to survive, but less than the amount linked to keeping muscle as you age. Muscle loss is quiet and cumulative, and it starts earlier than people think. Eating enough protein, especially around resistance training, protects the asset.
A 2018 systematic review and meta-regression (26 trials, over 800 participants) found that added protein improved strength and lean mass gains from resistance training, with the effect strongest in trained adults and tapering with age. What the trials measure is muscle, not mortality. Nobody has shown that protein targets reduce fractures, disability or death, which is why this grades Moderate rather than Strong.
Doing it: Roughly 1.0–1.2 g per kg of body weight per day is a reasonable target for most adults over 50, spread across meals, and more if you lift regularly. For an 80 kg man that is about 80–95 g a day, or 25–35 g per meal. Eggs, dairy, fish, tofu and legumes all count.
Who it suits: Worth attention from about 40 onwards, and for anyone doing resistance training. Kidney disease changes the calculus; ask your doctor first.
Sources
Next in diet: Drinking less alcohol →
Prefer to start with what a blood test can tell you? All 48 diagnostic tests, ranked →