Older people are advised to take proteins fairly at regular intervals to reduce age related loss of muscles, according to a study.
The study says that older people can maintain muscle mass if they add more protein in their breakfast or lunch. The Frontiers in Exercise and Sports Nutrition published the findings of a group of researchers from the University of Birmingham.
The researchers said that regular stimulation builds up new muscles. These stimulations are got from proteins. In older people, the stimulation happens less. They have to get more protein for enhancing the stimulation, the researchers said.
The researchers were from the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences of the University.
First Author Benoit Smeuninx said that taking more proteins was not just enough. But it has to be seen that the intake is evenly across all meals for getting the maximum benefits of protein. The study was based on the dietary intake of young, middle-aged and older people. The focus was on the amount and pattern of protein consumed.
The study found that majority of the people across all the three groups met/exceeded the present guidelines (RDA). But the the intake and distribution of protein across daily meals and snacks varied.
The researchers found that the older people consumed less protein than the younger people after looking at the pattern of the meals.
