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Eat Adequate Protein to Maintain Your Strength

The major building blocks of protein are amino acids. As you get older, your body may need a greater protein intake compared to when you were younger to form, maintain, and repair the body’s protein structures such as muscles. For example, adults over ? fty years of age may need at least 1.1 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (1 kg equals 2.2 pounds), while younger adults minimally require 0.8 grams per kilogram. Adults who exercise regularly, regardless of the type of exercise done or their age, need more protein than this minimal amount (usually 1.1 to 1.6 g/kg).

We also now know that certain amino acid compounds are especially important for maintaining muscle strength over time. Although well established in weight lifters and other power ath­letes for gaining muscle mass, creatine supplements taken in com­bination with resistance training (described in Step 2) may increase your strength gains from the training. Similarly, it is important to consume adequate amounts of leucine, an essential amino acid for the muscles, mainly found in whey protein derived from cow’s milk. Although getting these compounds through foods in your diet is still the preferred method, both can be found as dietary supplements in stores.