Protein After 40

They say 40 is the “over the hill” age, but why do we make such a big deal about turning 40? Well, the truth is that we do start to see some serious age-related changes happening after 40 - especially for women. Many women are entering (or already there) the perimenopausal years. This is a period of up to 10 years prior to ending your menstrual cycle, which happens on average around age 51 for women in the U.S. Once you’ve stopped menstruating for at least 12 months, you’ve officially reached menopause.

Perimenopause and menopause is a time when hormones are changing rapidly, and this can have a significant impact on our bones, joints, muscles, and tendons. We see bone density decrease, rising rates of arthritis, loss of muscle mass, and inflammation of tendons as common occurrences in women after age 40. These changes are directly related to the decline in estrogen and other hormonal shifts. Estrogen is known to have anti-inflammatory effects on many systems in our body, so when it begins to decline sharply we see a lot of the “-itis” issues pop up, since that medical terminology means “inflammation.”

It becomes even more important during this phase of life to think about how we are taking care of our bodies through exercise and nutrition. Strength training and weight bearing exercises are shown to have a protective effect on bones, joints, muscles, and tendons. However, it is equally important to be sure you are fueling your body with the right nutrition. One of those important pieces is protein! Protein in our food breaks down into amino acids in our body which work as building blocks to maintain good bone and muscle health. In addition to our protein, we need adequate calcium and vitamin D to help support our bones and muscle. Perimenopause and menopause is a time when we should be increasing our protein intake.

So how much protein should we consume once we reach the age of 40? It is recommended that women 40 years and older should consume on average 1g of protein per lean body mass. Many have misinterpreted this to mean that you should consume 1g per lb you weigh however if you are carrying extra weight in the form of fat, you’ll want to shoot for 1g per pound of your goal weight. For example you weight 150lbs and have a goal weight of 130lbs, you would attempt to consume 130g of protein per day. BUT it is important to remember that this is a general rule of thumb. Often times, women are under eating the recommended amount of protein so it’s best to determine what your starting point is and then slowly increase your intake. Take the example above: if this person is consuming on average only 50g of protein per day, it would be a big adjustment to consume 130g. Instead of jumping from 50g to 130g, consider a slow increase to 80g of protein. Slowly increase your protein each week until you hit your consumption goal.

A few protein options include:

• Fish

• Chicken

• Beef

• Venison

• Cottage Cheese

• Greek Yogurt

• Protein powders/shakes

• Eggs

• Quinoa

• Chickpeas

• Flaxseed

• Chia seeds

Consuming adequate amounts of protein will decrease the age related conditions mentioned above as well as help keep you full for longer periods of time. Combine protein consumption with strength training and now you’ve got yourself a recipe for success! If you are unsure what is right for you than reach out to us at SHIFT Physical Therapy and Wellness. We can get you set up with a consultation to discuss your nutrition and fitness goals.

Written by: Renee Hancock, Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist and Jackie Giese, Fitness Nutrition Specialist