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 06 July 2008 00:58 BST

Older women advised to eat protein to preserve muscle

Wednesday, 26 Mar 2008 08:55
Eating protein-rich steak could help older women to preserve muscle

Health In Focus 

Older women should eat plenty of protein to ensure they preserve muscle into old age, new research claims today.

Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Nottingham made the suggestion after finding that it is more difficult for women over 65 to replace muscle that is lost naturally as they get older.

This probably impacts on their ability to stay strong and fit and could make them more prone to falls, according to the study published in the Public Library of Science (PLoS).

The researchers say post-menopausal women are less able to respond to food to build muscle mass while men of the same age (65 to 80 years old) are able to store protein in muscle.

This, the study suggests, is likely to be the result of hormonal changes with the menopause.

The findings support preliminary results from studies showing that women are less able to build muscle after resistance exercise (lifting weights in the gym).

Michael Rennie, professor of clinical physiology at the University of Nottingham, described the findings as "significant… for the maintenance of better health in old age and reducing demands on the National Health Service".

"Rather than eating more, older people should focus on eating a higher proportion of protein in their everyday diet," he added.

"In conjunction with resistance exercise, this should help to reduce the loss of muscle mass over time.

"There is also a case for the beneficial hormonal effect of limited HRT, although this has to be balanced against the other risks associated with such treatment."
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