title: Protein intake and exercise for optimal muscle function with aging: recommendations from the ESPEN Expert Group.
abstract: The aging process is associated with gradual and progressive loss of muscle mass along with lowered strength and physical endurance. This condition, sarcopenia, has been widely observed with aging in sedentary adults. Regular aerobic and resistance exercise programs have been shown to counteract most aspects of sarcopenia. In addition, good nutrition, especially adequate protein and energy intake, can help limit and treat age-related declines in muscle mass, strength, and functional abilities. Protein nutrition in combination with exercise is considered optimal for maintaining muscle function. With the goal of providing recommendations for health care professionals to help older adults sustain muscle strength and function into older age, the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) hosted a Workshop on Protein Requirements in the Elderly, held in Dubrovnik on November 24 and 25, 2013. Based on the evidence presented and discussed, the following recommendations are made (a) for healthy older people, the diet should provide at least 1.0-1.2 g protein/kg body weight/day, (b) for older people who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition because they have acute or chronic illness, the diet should provide 1.2-1.5 g protein/kg body weight/day, with even higher intake for individuals with severe illness or injury, and (c) daily physical activity or exercise (resistance training, aerobic exercise) should be undertaken by all older people, for as long as possible.
authors.affiliation: Center for Translational Research in Aging & Longevity, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. Electronic address: nep.deutz@ctral.org.
authors.forename: Nicolaas E P
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Deutz
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Carl von Ossietzky University, Klinikum, Oldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Internal Medicine, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barazzoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, Internal Medicine, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Biolo
authors.affiliation: Université d'Auvergne, INRA, CRNH, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Boirie
authors.affiliation: Institut für Ernährungsmedizin, Universität Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bosy-Westphal
authors.affiliation: Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Sweden; Department of Geriatric Medicine, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: Tommy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cederholm
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Geriatría, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cruz-Jentoft
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Center and School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Zeljko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Krznariç
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: K Sreekumaran
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Institute for Nutrition Research, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.affiliation: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Service de Néphrologie, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Teta
authors.affiliation: Health and Exercise Sciences Research Group, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tipton
authors.affiliation: Human Development and Health Academic Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom; NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Philip C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Calder
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D004032:Diet; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D053580:Muscle Strength; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000517:prevention & control; D064167:Recommended Dietary Allowances; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins
keywords: Aging; Amino acids; Exercise; Nutrition; Protein; Sarcopenic obesity