Increased Protein at Breakfast/Lunch Increases Muscle Mass in Adults

by | Apr 5, 2016 | 2016, Aging, Alternative Therapies, Proteins

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Of the 60 participating subjects, those who consumed protein powder for 24 weeks increased their daily protein intake by 33% which resulted in a 1.21% increase in lean muscle mass compared to placebo.

After the age of 50, a significant health issue is the decline of muscle mass (1) that occurs at a rate of 1-2% per year (2, 3). This decline can be a precursor to health problems such as an increased risk of falls in the elderly, which costs our healthcare system $34 billion in 2013 (4). As a result, ways to help our aging population maintain muscle mass is of primary importance.

Now a new study (5) suggests that protein supplementation at breakfast and lunch may be a benefit to muscle mass. The study involved 60 healthy subjects (14 men, 46 women) aged 56 to 66 with a body mass index between 22.2 and 29.4 kg/m2. They consumed either 0.165 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass of a milk-based protein supplement (31 subjects) or a control drink containing the same amount of calories but no protein (29 subjects) at breakfast and lunch for 24 weeks.

The researchers decided to increase protein supplementation at breakfast and lunch. Previous research has shown those two meals to be “suboptimal” in terms of sufficient protein intake compared to dinner (15 grams protein intake a breakfast versus 20 grams at lunch and 40 grams at dinner (6)). Before and after the study, muscle mass was measured in each subject with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (7).

After 24 weeks, those in the protein group had a 33% increase in daily protein intake (1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight) compared to no change in the placebo group (1.2 g/kg bodyweight). This increased overall protein intake from 16% to 20% in the protein group compared to a decrease in the placebo group from 19% to 17% after 24 weeks. This increased protein intake resulted in a 0.91% increase in lean tissue mass in the protein group (0.99 pounds of increased muscle mass) compared to a 0.30% decrease (0.35-lb decrease) in the placebo group (p = 0.006).

For the researchers, “To our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal, randomized, controlled trial to test the hypothesis (8) that an even distribution of protein intake throughout the day in older adults may act as an effective countermeasure to the age-related loss of lean tissue mass” and that “an optimized and balanced distribution of meal protein intakes could be beneficial in the preservation of lean tissue mass in the elderly.”

Source: Norton, Catherine, et al. “Protein supplementation at breakfast and lunch for 24 weeks beyond habitual intakes increases whole-body lean tissue mass in healthy older adults.” The Journal of nutrition 146.1 (2016): 65-69.

© 2015 by the American Society for Nutrition

Posted February 23, 2016.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

References:

  1. Tieland M, Borgonjen-Van den Berg KJ, van Loon LJ, de Groot LC. Dietary protein intake in community-dwelling, frail, and institutionalized elderly people: scope for improvement. Eur J Nutr 2012;51:173–9
  2. Koopman R, van Loon LJC. Aging, exercise and muscle protein metabolism. J Appl Physiol 2009;106:2040–8.
  3. Fielding RA, Vellas B, Evans WJ, Bhasin S, Morley JE, Newman AB, Abellan van Kan G, Andrieu S, Bauer J, Breuille D, et al; International Working Group on Sarcopenia. Sarcopenia: an undiagnosed condition in older adults. Current consensus definition: prevalence, etiology, and consequences. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2011;12:249–56
  4. “Costs of Falls Among Older Adults” posted on the CDC website
  5. Norton C. Protein Supplementation at Breakfast and Lunch for 24 Weeks beyond Habitual Intakes Increases Whole-Body Lean Tissue Mass in Healthy Older Adults. J Nutr 2016 Jan;146(1):65-9. doi: 10.3945/jn.115.219022. Epub 2015 Nov 18
  6. Tieland M, Borgonjen-Van den Berg KJ, van Loon LJ, de Groot LC. Dietary protein intake in community-dwelling, frail, and institutionalized elderly people: scope for improvement. Eur J Nutr 2012;51:173–9
  7. Hangartner TN, Warner S, Braillon P, Jankowski L, Shepherd J. The official positions of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry: acquisition of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry body composition and considerations regarding analysis and repeatability of measures. J Clin Densitom 2013;16:520–36
  8. Paddon-Jones D, Rasmussen BB. Dietary protein recommendations and the prevention of sarcopenia. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2009;12:86–90