Plant-Based Diets and Muscle Health in Older Adults
Plant-based diets come with numerous long-term health advantages, but, interestingly, there might be a downside for older individuals.
A strictly vegetarian diet could potentially complicate the maintenance of muscle mass as we age. This concern is tied to protein, which is crucial for building, maintaining, and enhancing muscle. As we get older, it seems we might actually require more protein than current recommendations indicate.
It’s noted that vegetarians typically consume less dietary protein compared to their meat-eating counterparts. In fact, some recent research suggests that vegetarians who are underweight may have a lower likelihood of living to 100.
However, a new clinical trial presents a positive outlook.
In a study involving participants over 55 years old, both vegetarians and meat eaters experienced muscle gain and similar enhancements in strength and physical performance after a 12-week resistance training program.
The findings can be found in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Researchers from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences expressed that “it’s important to note that a predominantly plant-based diet can still lead to significant improvements in muscle mass, strength, and physical function, assuming protein intake is adequately high and paired with resistance training.”
This randomized trial included 108 adults who either followed a vegetarian or an omnivorous diet for three months. Participants engaged in resistance training three times each week, performing exercises such as leg presses, squats, chest presses, and more.
All participants received guidance on healthy eating habits and were instructed to consume at least 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.
Remarkably, both groups managed to meet their protein targets, including the vegetarians, who focused on dairy, eggs, and plant-based proteins.
At the trial’s conclusion, muscle strength and physical performance had improved in both groups, with no notable differences between vegetarians and meat eaters.
For instance, participants could lift more weight during leg presses and stood up more quickly during chair stands compared to their initial assessments.
However, there was one notable divergence between the groups.
While both vegetarians and omnivores saw increases in muscle mass in their legs and arms, the omnivorous group had about 70 percent more gains (+0.66 kilograms versus +0.38 kg for vegetarians).
It remains uncertain whether this difference is due to lower protein intake among vegetarians or perhaps the quality of protein sourced from meat and animal products.
Interestingly, the study revealed that vegetarians who consumed more protein tended to gain more muscle, whereas meat eaters did not experience similar gains with increased protein intake.
The authors speculate that perhaps the omnivorous group had reached a protein threshold, where additional intake no longer contributed to muscle growth.
Nutrition is indeed a complex field, influenced by a multitude of factors—lifestyle choices, behaviors, genetics, social circumstances, and environmental elements.
This study’s participants were primarily White, healthy, and well-educated, raising questions about the broader applicability of these results.
Nonetheless, these findings align with other recent studies that indicate vegetarian diets, if meeting caloric and nutrient needs, can lead to lifespans and health similar to those of meat eaters.
Research like this underscores the importance of adequate protein intake in older adulthood, particularly for those following vegetarian diets.
The authors conclude that the effectiveness of a plant-based diet may depend on individual circumstances.
“For individuals with low appetite or energy intake, focusing on protein targets and quality is crucial for maintaining muscle mass, which is vital for older adults,” they note.
The research has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
