Don’t let your muscles fade with age! Discover the #1 nutrition reflex to regain all your strength and tone today.
To maintain your muscle capital as you age, there are basic rules such as stimulating the body through regular strengthening exercises (gentle gym, active walking, elastics) while ensuring a good intake of vitamin D. But the absolute pillar to stop wasting remains nutrition: it is essential to increase your daily protein intake and target their consumption just after exercise or in the evening, when the muscles need it most to rebuild themselves. This is where a certain drink comes into play…
As older people age, they tend to eat less and therefore provide less protein to their body. Additionally, the body responds less effectively to dietary proteins. “For a healthy young adult, you need about 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. In seniors, this threshold rises to 1 to 1.2 grams per kilo, precisely because the body uses them less well.” explains Tatiana Baqué, nutrition practitioner within the Medoucine network. The best, according to her, is to favor protein-enriched drinks with “whey” or even NOCs if we approach malnutrition.
Whey, also called “whey” or whey, is a protein from milk which is filtered and transformed into a powder that is highly assimilable by the body. It is most often sold in sports stores and is diluted in water or a smoothie (several flavors exist). “Whey can be interesting for an active senior who eats correctly and is looking for a targeted protein intake. It is particularly rich in leucine, a key amino acid for stimulating muscle synthesis” confirmed Tatiana Baqué. “In a fragile senior who eats little, it is generally not enough. It provides proteins, but few vitamins or minerals” warns our expert.
Oral nutritional supplements or CNOs are more complete. Available in pharmacies under the names Fortimel®, Ensure®, Fresubin®, Renutryl®, Delical® or even Clinutren®, they also contain calories, vitamins, calcium and vitamin D. They are specifically formulated for the problems of aging: malnutrition, loss of appetite, muscle wasting.
When and how much? The drink is ideally consumed as a snack or just after physical activity. “The post-exercise moment is particularly interesting, because the muscle becomes more sensitive to protein intake in the hours following exercise.” Evening can also be a good time, especially if dinner is light. “A protein intake at the end of the day helps limit nocturnal muscle wasting, which is particularly marked with age.”
But be careful, the protein drink remains a supplement, not a replacement. “Chewing remains essential. And there is also the pleasure of taste, the pleasure of cooking, which is an important occupation for many seniors.“. Contraindications apply: kidney failure, liver problems, lactose or soy intolerance. “Support remains essential, whether from a nutritionist, a doctor or a dietitian” concludes the expert.
