Protein After 60: Why Your Needs May Change as You Age

The way we eat often changes as we get older—but so can what our bodies need from the food we eat. Protein is one nutrient that deserves particular attention, especially as we move through our 60s, 70s and beyond.

You might be eating much the same foods you have for years, or perhaps even eating smaller portions than you used to. But getting enough protein can become increasingly important with age. That's because the body undergoes gradual changes in how it maintains and rebuilds muscle tissue, while factors such as reduced appetite, lower food intake or periods of illness can make it more difficult to get enough protein in the first place.

In this guide, we'll look at why protein needs deserve more attention as you age, how much older adults may need, how to spread protein throughout the day and practical ways to get enough—even when appetite isn't what it used to be.

What happens to your muscles as you age?

Our muscles are constantly changing. Throughout the day, the body alternates between breaking down muscle proteins and building new ones, with factors such as food intake and physical activity helping regulate that balance.

As we get older, however, maintaining that balance can become more difficult. From around midlife onwards, people tend to experience a gradual decline in skeletal muscle mass and strength. Research estimates vary, but some reviews suggest that muscle mass may decline by approximately 1–2% per year after the age of 50, while muscle strength can decline even faster—around 1.5% per year between 50 and 60 and up to 3% per year thereafter.

Importantly, loss of strength doesn't necessarily occur at the same rate as loss of muscle mass. Research comparing the two has found that strength may decline around two to five times faster than muscle mass in older adults. The rate varies considerably depending on factors such as physical activity, nutrition, illness and overall health. 

One important reason is that older muscle doesn't always respond as strongly to the signals that normally stimulate muscle protein synthesis—the process of building new muscle proteins. This reduced response is commonly referred to as anabolic resistance.

Physical inactivity can compound the problem. Periods of reduced movement—whether due to a more sedentary lifestyle, illness, injury or hospitalisation—can contribute to muscle loss, and regaining that muscle may become more difficult with age.

When does muscle loss become sarcopenia?

Some age-related change in muscle is expected, but more substantial declines can contribute to sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia is an age-related condition involving a progressive loss of muscle strength and muscle quantity or quality, with severe cases also involving reduced physical performance. Importantly, it isn't simply about having smaller muscles.

Muscle supports many of the movements required for everyday life, including standing, walking, lifting, balancing and climbing stairs. Significant losses in muscle strength and function can therefore make everyday activities more difficult and may contribute to a greater risk of falls, reduced mobility and loss of independence.

This is why preserving muscle as we age is about much more than appearance or athletic performance. Maintaining enough muscle and strength to continue moving and performing everyday tasks is an important part of healthy ageing.

And this brings us back to protein. Because dietary protein provides the amino acids the body uses to maintain and repair muscle tissue, getting enough becomes an important part of the picture—particularly when ageing muscle may not respond to protein quite as efficiently as it once did.

How much protein do you need after 60?

There isn't one protein target that applies to everyone over 60. Your requirements depend on factors such as your age, body weight, activity level and overall health. According to the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand, the Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) for protein is: 

 

You'll notice that the Australian RDI increases considerably after age 70. For men, it rises from 64 g to 81 g per day, while for women it increases from 46 g to 57 g per day. On a body-weight basis, this corresponds to approximately 1.07 g/kg/day for men and 0.94 g/kg/day for women over 70. 

Why you may see higher protein recommendations for older adults

If you've researched protein and ageing before, you may have come across recommendations of around 1.0–1.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

These figures come from expert groups looking specifically at nutrition and healthy ageing. The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) notes that several expert groups have suggested approximately 1.0–1.2 g/kg/day for healthy older adults, and its guideline recommends ensuring at least 1.0 g/kg/day in older people.

What does 1.0–1.2 g/kg/day look like in practice?

• A 60 kg person → approximately 60–72 g protein/day

• A 70 kg person → approximately 70–84 g protein/day

• An 80 kg person → approximately 80–96 g protein/day

These aren't universal targets for everyone over 60. Rather, they help illustrate why body weight can be useful when considering protein requirements, instead of assuming that one fixed number is appropriate for every older adult.

What if you're unwell or recovering?

Protein requirements can also change depending on health circumstances.

Requirements may be higher during illness, infection, wound healing or recovery from malnutrition, with amounts of around 1.2–1.5 g/kg/day suggested for some older people with acute or chronic illness. However, the guideline by European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) also acknowledges that evidence isn't sufficient to prescribe one figure for every frail or unwell older person.

This is where individual advice becomes particularly important. More protein isn't automatically better, and people with certain health conditions—particularly kidney disease—may have different requirements. A doctor or Accredited Practising Dietitian can help determine an appropriate intake based on someone's individual circumstances.

Does it matter when you eat your protein?

Getting enough protein over the course of the day is important—but when you eat it may matter too, especially as you get older.

Many older adults tend to eat most of their protein at dinner, while breakfast and lunch contain relatively little. Think about a typical day:

 

This means you may technically meet your daily protein target, but most of it is consumed in a single meal. 

Why spreading protein across the day may help

Muscle protein synthesis is stimulated each time you eat a meal containing enough protein. Because older muscle is less responsive to protein than younger muscle—a phenomenon known as anabolic resistance—many researchers recommend including a meaningful source of protein at each main meal, rather than relying on lunch or dinner alone.

The idea isn't that you need to eat protein every hour. Instead, it's about giving your muscles multiple opportunities throughout the day to receive the amino acids they need for maintenance and repair.

A more balanced way to include protein

Rather than saving most of your protein for dinner, aim to include protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner where possible.

It's about the whole day, not one perfect meal

You don't need to eat exactly the same amount of protein at every meal, and there isn't a single perfect distribution that suits everyone.

The bigger takeaway is simple: meeting your daily protein needs is the priority, and spreading protein across your meals may be a practical way to support muscle maintenance as you age

What are good protein sources for older adults?

Getting enough protein doesn't necessarily mean eating more meat or relying on protein supplements. Protein is found in a wide variety of foods, and including different sources throughout the day can make it easier to meet your needs while also providing other important nutrients.

Animal-based protein sources

Animal foods generally provide complete proteins, meaning they contain all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce itself.

Good options include:

• Eggs

• Fish and seafood

• Chicken and other poultry

• Lean beef, pork and other meats

• Milk

• Greek yoghurt and other yoghurts

• Cheese and cottage cheese

These foods can be particularly useful because many provide other nutrients relevant to healthy ageing. Dairy foods, for example, can contribute calcium, while meat, fish and eggs provide varying amounts of nutrients such as iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

Plant-based protein sources

You don't need to get all of your protein from animal foods. There are plenty of plant-based sources too, including:

• Lentils

• Chickpeas

• Beans

• Tofu

• Tempeh

• Soy milk and other soy foods

• Nuts and nut butters

• Seeds

• Wholegrains

Some plant proteins contain lower amounts of one or more essential amino acids than others, but you don't need to carefully combine different proteins at every meal. Eating a varied diet with different plant protein sources throughout the day can provide the essential amino acids your body needs.

Protein quality can matter too

As we discussed earlier, ageing muscles can become less responsive to protein, so the amount you eat isn't the only consideration. The amino acid composition and digestibility of a protein source can also influence how effectively it stimulates muscle protein synthesis.

One amino acid you'll often hear about in this context is leucine. Leucine is an essential amino acid that acts as an important signal for stimulating muscle protein synthesis. Foods such as dairy products, meat, fish, eggs and soy can provide leucine alongside other essential amino acids.

That doesn't mean you need to start counting leucine separately. For most people, a more practical approach is simply to include good-quality, protein-rich foods across your meals rather than worrying about individual amino acids.

Choose protein sources you can actually eat regularly

The "best" protein source isn't necessarily the one with the highest protein number on a nutrition panel. As we get older, factors such as appetite, chewing or swallowing difficulties, convenience and food preferences can influence what we're realistically able to eat.

For someone with a smaller appetite, softer and easy-to-eat options such as eggs, yoghurt, cottage cheese, tofu, fish or protein-rich soups may sometimes be easier than a large portion of meat.

Ultimately, variety is useful. Combining animal and/or plant-based protein sources throughout the day can help you meet your protein needs while also providing a broader range of nutrients—and if eating enough becomes difficult, the next step isn't necessarily to make your meals bigger. It may be more helpful to make the food you are eating more protein-dense.

What about protein shakes, powders and bars?

Whole foods can provide all the protein you need, so protein supplements aren't automatically necessary as you get older. Foods such as eggs, dairy, fish, meat, tofu and legumes also provide vitamins, minerals and other nutrients alongside their protein.

However, there may be times when protein shakes, powders or bars offer a convenient way to add more protein to your day.

This can be particularly useful if you:

• Have a smaller appetite and find large meals difficult to finish.

• Regularly struggle to include enough protein at meals.

• Want an easy way to add protein to breakfast or snacks.

• Need something convenient when you're away from home.

• Are physically active and find it difficult to meet your protein needs through meals alone.

Not all protein supplements are the same

If you're choosing a protein powder or bar specifically to help increase your protein intake, it's worth checking the nutrition information rather than relying on the front-of-pack claims.

Look at how many grams of protein you're actually getting per serve, as serving sizes can vary considerably between products. For protein bars, it's also worth checking the overall nutritional profile, including ingredients, added sugars or sweeteners, depending on what matters to you.

The type of protein can differ as well. Whey, casein, soy, pea and collagen are all sources of protein, but they don't have identical amino acid profiles.

Whey protein, for example, provides all nine essential amino acids and is naturally rich in leucine, an amino acid involved in stimulating muscle protein synthesis. This is one reason whey has been extensively studied in relation to muscle.

Read related article: Whey Protein vs Plant Protein: Which Is Right for You?

Collagen protein, on the other hand, has a different amino acid profile and is relatively low in leucine. While it still contributes protein and amino acids to the diet, it shouldn't necessarily be considered nutritionally interchangeable with whey or other complete proteins when the specific goal is stimulating muscle protein synthesis.

Think of them as a convenient addition, not a replacement for food

Protein powders and bars can certainly have a place in an older adult's diet, but they don't need to replace ordinary meals.

A better way to think about them is as another tool for helping you reach your protein needs. If breakfast is normally low in protein, for example, adding a protein powder to a smoothie may help. If you're out for the day and won't have access to your usual foods, a protein-rich snack can provide a convenient alternative.

The priority remains getting enough protein across the day from a varied diet. Supplements can simply help fill the gaps when convenience, appetite or circumstances make that more difficult.

Conclusion: Protein becomes more important as we age, not less 

Our nutritional needs don't stay exactly the same throughout life. As we get older, changes in muscle, appetite, activity and the way our bodies respond to dietary protein can make getting enough protein increasingly important.

That doesn't mean reaching your 60s suddenly requires a high-protein diet. Instead, it means becoming a little more conscious of how much protein you're getting, where it's coming from and how you're spreading it throughout the day.

Protein is only one part of maintaining muscle as you age. Regular physical activity—particularly appropriate resistance exercise—works alongside adequate nutrition to help maintain strength and physical function.

Most importantly, protein needs are individual. Age, body weight, activity, appetite and health conditions can all influence how much is appropriate for you. If you're experiencing unintentional weight loss, reduced appetite, difficulty eating or concerns about maintaining muscle, speak with your doctor or an Accredited Practising Dietitian for personalised advice.

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