Protein: The Unsung Hero of Health
When most people think of protein, they picture bodybuilders or athletes. But protein is far more than just a muscle-building nutrient — it’s a cornerstone of overall health. It plays a vital role in countless bodily functions, including maintaining muscle mass.
Beyond Muscles: The Multifaceted Role of Protein
While protein does play a pivotal role in muscle development—especially when combined with strength training—its functions extend far beyond:
Hormone Health: Proteins are fundamental in synthesizing hormones like insulin and growth hormone, which regulate metabolism, growth, and blood sugar levels.
Immune Function: Antibodies, which defend against pathogens, are protein-based. Adequate protein intake ensures a robust immune response.
Satiety and Appetite Regulation: Protein-rich meals increase feelings of fullness by stimulating hormones that signal satiety, helping reduce cravings and unnecessary snacking.
Metabolism Boost: Digesting protein requires more energy compared to fats or carbohydrates, thereby slightly increasing metabolic rate.
Blood Sugar Regulation: Protein helps stabilize blood glucose levels by slowing carbohydrate absorption and stimulating insulin secretion, reducing blood sugar spikes.
Bone Density: Adequate protein supports bone health by enhancing calcium absorption and stimulating bone-forming cells, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
Combating Aging and Frailty: Sufficient protein intake helps preserve muscle mass and strength, crucial for maintaining mobility and reducing the risk of falls in older adults.
Understanding Protein Needs
Protein requirements vary based on activity levels, age, gender and health goals:
General Health & Light Activity: 1.6–1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Moderate Activity & Muscle Building: 1.8–2.0 grams per kilogram.
High Training, Fat Loss, Perimenopause, Menopause, Older Adults, Illness, or Injury: 2.0–2.3 grams per kilogram.
Dr. Stacy Sims, an expert in female physiology, emphasizes that women in perimenopause and menopause benefit from higher protein intakes to counteract hormonal changes and support muscle maintenance. Dr Stacy Sims
The Impact of Aging on Muscle Mass
Starting around age 30, individuals can experience a 3–5% decline in muscle mass per decade — a condition known as sarcopenia. This gradual muscle wasting becomes more pronounced with aging and hormonal changes, especially during menopause. As muscle mass decreases, so does strength, coordination, and balance, increasing the risk of falls, fractures, and long-term loss of independence. But the impact goes deeper than movement. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue — it helps regulate blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, and even appetite hormones (among other hormones) as well as our immunity system. Muscle stores key amino acids the body draws on during illness or injury to help repair tissue and fight infection. When muscle is lost, the body becomes less efficient at using nutrients, and recovery from illness or physical stress becomes slower and more difficult. This also makes the body more resistant to positive changes from both exercise and diet. A lack of protein only accelerates this cycle, contributing to declining energy, strength, and resilience. That’s why maintaining muscle through adequate protein intake and resistance training is one of the most powerful ways to protect your long-term health, immunity, and independence as you age.
Boosting Protein Intake: Practical Tips
To meet protein needs:
Aim for: 15–20 grams of protein per snack and 30–40 grams per meal.
Incorporate a variety of protein sources:
Animal-Based: Chicken, turkey, lean beef, eggs, dairy products (yogurt, cheese), fish, and seafood.
Plant-Based: Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas), tofu, tempeh, quinoa, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
Diversifying protein sources not only helps meet nutritional needs but also introduces a range of other beneficial nutrients into the diet - balance is key for exercise, food and lifestyle!
How to Get More Protein Into Your Day
Getting enough protein isn’t just about eating more meat—it’s about making smarter, more balanced choices throughout your day.
Add, don’t overhaul: When you cook at home, you have complete control over what goes in your meals. That means you can add a handful of chicken to a stir-fry, an egg to your salad, or a scoop of protein powder to your smoothie. These small tweaks make a big difference.
Balance your plate: Protein doesn’t have to dominate the meal, but it should be present in every meal and snack. Think: Greek yogurt with seeds and berries, eggs on toast with spinach, tuna on crackers, or lentils added to a soup.
Think in protein portions: Aim for 15–20g of protein per snack and 30–40g per main meal. Spreading it out over the day improves how your body absorbs and uses it.
Diverse sources matter: A combination of animal and plant-based proteins gives you a variety of nutrients. Mix things up with eggs, dairy, legumes, tofu, seeds, lean meats, fish, and whole grains.
Do a diet inventory: I’m a BIG fan of doing an intermittent protein inventory. This doesn’t mean obsessively tracking every bite forever—but spending a few days calculating your average intake can be a real eye-opener.
Here's how to do it:Calculate your daily protein goal: Use the ranges from earlier (e.g. 1.6–2.2g per kg of body weight).
Read food labels: Get a sense of how much protein is in what you're eating.
Guesstimate or weigh: You don’t have to be exact. But if you have kitchen scales, weighing a few key items can help you learn portion sizes and refine your estimates.
Adjust your meals: Once you know where you’re sitting, you can decide whether to add a snack, bump up your portion sizes, or look for higher-protein versions of your go-to foods.
Tracking now and then—just like a budget check-in—gives you the information you need to make powerful changes without the stress of constant micromanaging.
By understanding the comprehensive role of protein and ensuring adequate intake, individuals can support their overall health, maintain muscle mass, and enhance quality of life as they age.
