Nutrition

In many previous articles about injury or loss of strength with older adults I have discussed the importance of using strength training for building muscle and strengthening bones to not only improve joint stability, but to prevent the onset of osteoporosis. While this is an absolute must it is never going to work well if you do not eat a balanced diet that has the required levels of protein to ensure the muscles can repair and grow. I think most people are aware of the need to eat quality protein to build muscle however, like most things you can have too much of a good thing and over-eat it causing other serious health problems. You must eat the right balance of protein, carbs, and fats to maintain a healthy body but the big question remains, how much protein is enough? There is no definitive answer to this as it all depends on the needs of each person. The more active you are, and the more you weigh, the more you are going to need. Also not all protein is equal as some foods have a higher protein quality than others so you need to keep this in mind when trying to work out how much you need. In this article we will take a close look at all of the various factors you need to consider giving you a better understanding of how much protein to eat in your diet.

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