Introduction
As we age, there are many physiological changes that happen; from decreased muscle mass to changes in metabolic efficiency, aging may require us to change our approach to nutrition and general fitness. These changes require some degree of proactivity, to make sure that we can keep getting fit and improving our health at any age.
Many people will attribute health struggles that they have solely to their age, with them believing that metabolism slows down irreversibly as we pass each decade. This however may not be the case, with research suggesting that metabolic decline related to ageing actually only becomes significant around the age of 60! Factors such as fat mass, lean mass and physical activity play a much more substantial role in metabolic rate than your chronological age alone.
This article will present all the nutritional advice you need as you age. It will begin by going over some age-related changes to help your understanding, followed by some dietary and exercise strategies that you can employ straight away to help optimise yourself as you age.
Key Age Related Changes
Ageing affects various aspects of our physiology, which influences our nutritional needs. These include:
- Muscle Mass & Strength: As we age, naturally we lose muscle mass and strength. This can lead to lower energy expenditure, meaning that we have less energy requirements from food. In short, it generally means that we need to take in fewer calories as we age. You may also want to consider increasing protein intake in order to counteract anabolic resistance and support muscle maintenance and repair. Supplements such as whey protein and casein can help increase your daily protein intake.
- Bone Health: Lowering bone density increases the need for calcium and vitamin D to maintain our skeletal strength and reduce the risk of fractures. If you’re looking for a convenient supplement to increase your vitamin D intake, then be sure to check out our vitamin D spray whilst you’re here.
- Immune Function: Ageing can diminish our immune function gradually, which requires an increased intake of vitamins such as vitamin B6, vitamin E and Zinc to help support immune function.
- Digestion: Reduced gastric acid secretion can actually impact the absorption of nutrients such as vitamin B12, folate, calcium, iron and zinc. This may require you to adjust your dietary intake of these micronutrients through food or supplementation.
Dietary Considerations for Ageing Individuals
We will now break down some of the key considerations you should pay attention to as you age.
Protein Intake
Making sure you take in adequate protein should be an essential consideration as you age in order to mitigate muscle loss and support overall physical function. You should always aim for 1.8-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, ensuring that you distribute this across meals on order to optimise muscle protein synthesis.
Eat your Colourful Fruits and Vegetables
You should incorporate a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables into your daily diet in order to combat the oxidative stress that is associated with ageing and exercise. Colourful fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants such as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E.
Supplementation
Although we advocate a food first approach to nutrition, there are some supplements that you may want to consider taking as you age.
- Creatine: Creatine is known for its role in muscle protein synthesis. Creatine supplementation can benefit ageing individuals by helping them maintain muscle mass and strength. We recommend 5-8g per day.
- ZMA (Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamin B6): ZMA will support immune function, digestion and muscular recovery. This is particularly important as absorption of these nutrients may decrease as you age.
- Fish Oil: Omega-3 fatty acids can help in reducing inflammation, support digestion and help preserve muscle mass. You should aim for 3 grams per day. Try an omega 3 fish oil for a convenient source of omega 3.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D is essential for bone health, function of muscles and immune function. If sunlight exposure is limited, perhaps consider a vitamin D supplement (3000-5000IU daily). Supplementation can be much cheaper than trying to get the same amount of vitamin D from food sources.
- Digestive Enzymes: Digestive enzymes can aid in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, particularly beneficial for older adults who may be experiencing digestive challenges.
Exercise General Recommendations
The two focuses with regards to exercise as you age should be on strength training and recovery:
- Strength Training: This is key for reducing muscle loss and maintaining bone density as you age. Any form of exercise is good, but strength training is best. This doesn’t necessarily mean lifting heavy, it can just be any exercise with resistance. It can help with a number of factors such as resting metabolic rate, total energy expenditure, growth hormone, total body water, muscle and bone mass, gut transit time of food, appetite and energy intake, and glycogen storage capacity and uptake. Training generally also reduces LDL cholesterol and increases HDL cholesterol.
- Rest and Recovery: You should recognise that recovery becomes more important as you age. Make sure you allow adequate time between exercise sessions in order to prevent overexertion and promote muscular repair. Ensuring that your sleep, hydration and stress management are on point can also improve your recovery.
Conclusion
As you age, you should understand that your body will naturally change. Having a proactive approach to change by adapting your nutrition, exercise and supplementation routines and practices will ensure that your performance can continue to be maximised, and your health be optimised. Ageing is a natural process, and doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on either of these things.
