Mackie: Top 5 Ways to Fight Muscle Loss
1/ Protein
Food sources include: eggs, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, vegetable protein sources like beans, soy & lentils
Specifically helpful are the branch chain amino acids - leucine, isoleucine, and valine; 6 grams of essential amino acids 1 hour after resistance exercise dramatically increased muscle protein synthesis (American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology Metabolism 2002). Ingesting 20 grams of intact protein after a bout of resistance exercise resulted in a similar muscle protein synthesis between younger and older men. (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 2011)
Here is the protein requirement for patients at risk for lean body muscle loss:
Normal 0.8 grams/kg
Elderly 1.2-1.5 grams/kg
Presence of Wound 1.5 gm/kg
Trauma 1.5-2.0 gm/kg
Critical Illness 1.5-2.0 gm/kg
