The Case for Superior Protein Nutrition After age 50: A Personal Journey

The situation is this: I'm 78. While I've been somewhat successful at staving off decline in muscle mass and performance through regular hiking, cardio, and yoga, now at 78 it feels like I really need "all my ducks in a row" for the years to come. Good sleep? Check! Good diet? Most of the time. Superior protein nutrition three times per day? Not yet. And therein lies the motivation for developing Nutriex Proteins+.

Why Protein Becomes Critical After 50

As an orthopedic surgeon, I've witnessed firsthand how aging affects our bodies. Both men and women over 50 have specific nutritional needs, particularly concerning protein intake. Here's why:

Muscle Mass Preservation
We lose muscle mass as we age, a condition called sarcopenia. Quality protein intake helps preserve muscle mass and counteract this decline.

Digestive Changes
Aging bodies become less efficient at absorbing and utilizing protein. This makes the quality of our protein sources more important than ever.

Bone Health Maintenance
From my experience as an orthopedist, the vast majority of fractures after age 50 result from reduced bone mass, not the magnitude of a fall. Protein plays a crucial role in bone health, aiding calcium metabolism and bone mass preservation alongside calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin K2.

Immune Function and Repair
Protein is vital for immune function and tissue repair, especially when older adults face new illnesses, surgery, or injury.

Weight Management
Superior protein nutrition, combined with daily exercise, helps combat the common issue of increasing belly fat with age. Quality proteins have a thermal effect of 20-30%—meaning your body burns more calories processing protein compared to fats (5% thermal effect) or carbohydrates (5% thermal effect).

The Reality of Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia isn't just about losing muscle but it also affects quality of life profoundly. Strength and physical performance decline, leading to increased fatigue, balance issues, and loss of endurance. The consequences extend further: decreased mobility, loss of independence, increased fall risk, decreased bone density, impaired immune function, and higher risk of chronic disease.

The Solution: Protein Plus Exercise

To mitigate or avoid sarcopenia, high-quality protein nutrition must be combined with daily physical activity. The goal is to maintain muscle and ideally build it in those already experiencing sarcopenia. This requires both protein and exercise working together.

The protein must be high quality, providing all nine essential amino acids, and used regularly as part of a superior plant-forward diet. Proteins complement, not replace, the highly nutritious plant-based elements found in vegetables, quality grains, and fruits. The goal is synergistic balance to overcome age-related risks from poor quality or insufficient protein nutrition.

My Personal Motivation

What about continuing to play from the blue tees, when golfing? What about skiing Alta without fear of falling? What about maintaining my strength and endurance when younger companions push me up the ridgeline toward Gannett Peak?

I'm convinced that my protein intake needs to be higher quality, consumed regularly, and obtained three to four times throughout the day. That's why we developed Nutriex Proteins+, to make superior protein nutrition accessible and convenient for those of us who refuse to let age define our limitations.

The science is clear: with the right nutrition and consistent activity, we can maintain our strength, independence, and zest for life well into our later years.

Dr. Tom Rosenberg is co-founder of Nutriex and a retired orthopedic surgeon with over 30 years of experience helping patients maintain active, healthy lifestyles.