4 ways nutrition can maintain running performance into older age.
Have you ever been told you are getting too old to compete? My Dad was 55 when he gave up playing competitive squash “It’s too high intensity”, and “it’s too demanding on your cardiovascular system” was the consistent message he heard. So he quit. He got bored, ate more, and put on weight. This was followed by poor health and weight-related illness. He also really missed the social scene, and this negatively affected his mental health. This all led to a decline in his quality of life. Who gave him this terrible advice? Who told him to stop? : Family, friends, colleagues, those looking out for his best interests with good intentions, but with little knowledge of the importance of physical exercise in later life.
It’s a typical story. As a runner, you’ve probably heard the same thing (how many family dinners have you been told that running is bad for your joints?). In this article, I tell you that you don’t have to give up participating in sports, and by making the right nutrition choices and the best diet planning, you can maintain strong levels of performance into old age. I outline dietary guidance for protein, vitamin D, fish oils, and energy intake, and how they can play a key role in supporting your athletic performance and quality of life.
Age-related loss of muscle and the decline in function and strength is the greatest threat to athletic performance, health, and quality of life. Nutrition has a key role to play in the maintenance of muscle mass, strength, and function. Peak performance associated with age-related decline starts from early adulthood in some sports. In a 2008 paper, Tanaka and Seals found that running performance was maintained until ~35 years of age, followed by a gradual decrease in pace, until 50-60 when a steeper increase occurred. The rate of decline is thought to be ~1% per year from the ages of 25-30.
How much protein Do I need to Support muscle Growth and repair?
Muscle protein synthesis is regulated by the availability of amino acids from dietary protein sources. However, the total amount of dietary protein needed to stimulate muscle growth is increased with age, this is known as anabolic resistance. How many grams of protein per day do I need? This is a common question I often get asked. Runners require protein for recovery, repair, and muscular endurance. Recent research suggests protein synthesis in older adults is maximally stimulated at 30-40g per meal. This is seen as the optimal dose of protein per meal for older adults to stimulate MPS (based on athlete weight), exceeding the recommendations of ~20 g per meal for a younger 75-80 kg athlete. Anabolic resistance associated with age requires older athletes to ensure they are maintaining physical activity and eating the recommended amounts of protein at each meal to limit the loss in muscle strength and maintain performance.
Rather than total daily protein recommendations, protein intake for older athletes is based on a meal-to-meal basis. Recommendations are based on the optimal dose of protein to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in older muscle. Therefore, for older adults, 0.59 g of protein per kg of body weight is recommended as an optimal dose. For a 70kg runner, this would be 41 g per meal.
Recent research suggests protein synthesis in older adults is maximally stimulated at 30-40g per meal.
Protein is a highly satiating food, and 40 g of protein would be equivalent to 110g of turkey breast, 115 g of pork, 120 g of beef steak, 125 g of tuna, 150 g of cheddar cheese, or six average eggs. Reaching these high levels of protein consumption per meal may be difficult for some athletes. As much as a food-first option should be the primary choice wherever possible, protein recommendations through solid food may be difficult to meet, therefore protein supplements such as whey protein shakes, or protein bars may be an easier option to support daily protein intake.
ENERGY AVAILABILITY and REDUCING INJURY for endurance running
For older athletes, energy expenditure decreases with age, in a 2006 paper, Roberts and Rosenberg found 11 components that led to a reduction in energy expenditure, including a decrease in physical activity and resting metabolic rate, with a decline of 1- 2% per decade. Additionally, imbalances in energy intake were found in older adults when compared to younger adults, with an impaired regulation to balance daily energy needs, often leading to over or under energy consumption. Daily energy expenditure remains stable throughout much of adult life but reduces once adults reach ~60 years of age.
In older age, physiological change in appetite also takes place, changes in taste and smell, and delayed gastric emptying, all of which lead to a loss of appetite and a reduction in nutrient intake. This can lead to unwanted weight loss, a reduction of muscle mass and strength, poor bone health and reduced immune function, sarcopenia, and a loss of functional capacity.
These conditions are more commonly found in frail older adults. However, athletes have increased energy needs, and when combined with undereating, this can result in chronic low energy availability. This places it at a level of concern as low energy and nutrient intake may go unnoticed or simply be dismissed as a natural part of the aging process. This then may lead to low energy availability, placing older athletes at increased risk of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), leading to a range of symptoms that include poor bone health, reduced cardiovascular health, GI symptoms, depressed immune system, fatigue, and reductions in performance. Therefore, the recommendations are to eat to support your energy needs and aim to balance energy expenditure with energy intake each day.
NUTRITION TO support bone health
Low Vitamin D levels are associated with lower muscle mass, strength, and bone health. Vitamin D supplementation has a significant positive impact on muscle strength in the over 65 age group. Vitamin D is synthesized through exposure to the sun, with only minimal amounts available through dietary sources, such as oily fish, red meat, eggs, and fortified foods.
Vitamin D regulates the homeostasis of calcium-phosphate in the body and impacts muscular, immune, and cardiovascular function. Vitamin D helps greatly with the efficiency of intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphorus and has an impact on the proper functioning of musculoskeletal, immune, nervous, and cardiovascular systems.
The Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline (2011) suggest that the elderly are an at risk group for vitamin D deficiency, they recommend adults aged over 50 require at least 600 IU/d, rising to 800 IU/d at 70 years of age. These requirements are made to support optimal muscle function and maximize bone health. In the upper ranges of this group, these recommendations have been found to significantly limit fractures and falls. Supplementation of 1500-2000 IU/d is recommended in the winter months. Likewise, the IOC consensus statement (2018) on dietary supplements recommends Vitamin D supplementation for athletes at between 800 and 1000 - 2000 IU/d.
Stress fractures are responsible for up to 20% of all reported sports injuries and are a result of imbalances between bone reabsorption and formation. Age, gender, body composition, bone strength, low aerobic fitness, low physical activity, and excess running are all risk factors for stress fractures. Younger athletes are able to recover and return to fitness in 6 - 12 weeks, however, for older athletes, recovery may take longer, and the time taken out of activity could potentially see a sharp decline in performance and negative health outcomes. Skeletal muscle tissue can reduce in less than 36 hours, with significant losses within 5 days. The consequences for injury in older athletes are much greater, immobilization could lead to a decline in physiological functional capacity and physiological changes associated with aging, such as sarcopenia, could be accelerated.
Stress fractures are responsible for up to 20% of all reported sports injuries and are a result of imbalances between bone reabsorption and formation.
It is also important that adequate amounts of calcium are consumed with Vitamin D. When Vitamin D is supplemented with calcium, a reduced risk of stress fractures occurs. In a 2008 study with female navy recruits, 800 IU of Vitamin D was supplemented, along with 2,00 mg of calcium. This reduced the risk of stress fracture by 20%. The outcomes of this study, when applied to older athletes could have significant outcomes for health and performance.
An increased Vitamin D intake seems to be of paramount importance for reducing stress fractures and frailty prevention in older adults, the underlying factor in stress fractures in older adults was loss of muscle strength associated with low Vitamin D levels. Due to biological changes associated with age, environmental and social factors that may reduce sun exposure. It would be prudent for older athletes to follow the increased guidelines to ensure they maintain optimal muscle function to support health and performance.
supplements in the runner’s diet to support MUSCLE mass
Fish oils, in the form of Omega-3 supplements, have been mostly associated with their anti-inflammatory properties, and have been shown to decrease muscle soreness after exercise and a potential reduction in recovery time. Additionally, omega-3 fish oils have also been shown to increase muscle growth following injury, therefore potentially reducing the amount of time in recovery and potential impact on health and performance. However, within the scope of this article, omega-3 has been found to potentiate the utilization of protein and increase rates of muscle protein synthesis and attenuated muscle loss in older adults.
In a 2015 paper, Smith et al. supplemented a group of adults aged 60-85 with four 1g fish oil pills per day that contained 1.86 g EPA and 1.50 g DHA for six months. The daily dose was the equivalent of 200-400 g of oily fish, such as salmon or herring. Fish oil supplementation was found to provide a ~3.5% increase in muscle mass and ~6% increase in muscle strength, slowing down the rate of muscle loss and power in older adults. Similar gains in strength using fish oil supplementation have also been found in a 2012 study by Rodacki et al. The importance of this supplementation for older athletes is significant, as it both slows down age-related decline and can support the maintenance and potentiate the synthesis of muscle. From a health perspective, levels of strength are directly associated with all-cause mortality in older adults. It is not entirely understood how Omega-3 acts on the muscle, but previously held beliefs were that its anti-inflammatory properties were responsible, however, more recent research has found that it increases activation of mTOR. This is the signaling pathway responsible for muscle growth.
The recommendations for fish oil supplementation are 1 g of quality fish oil per day. The highest quality of Omega-3 fatty acids containing EPA and DHA can be found in dietary sources such as oily fish. To meet recommendations older athletes could eat a daily portion of salmon, mackerel, herring, or sardines, this would also help athletes to meet daily protein requirements. Additional omega-3 sources can be found in nut butters and some plant-based oils.
The recommendations for fish oil supplementation are 1 g of quality fish oil per day. The highest quality of Omega-3 fatty acids containing EPA and DHA can be found in dietary sources such as oily fish.
Age-related declines in health and performance can be attenuated with considered nutrition planning. The nutritional needs of older athletes are often significantly higher than dietary reference values, where research suggests these may lead to deficiencies, as in the case of Vitamin D. Much of the available research suggests that muscle mass and strength are key to understanding both the health and performance of older athletes. With regular physical exercise and appropriate nutrition, the declines in age-related muscle loss can be attenuated, positively impacting the performance, health, and quality of life of older athletes.
Written by Paul B - Sport and Performance Nutritionist
Are you a runner, cyclist, or triathlete who wants to maintain health, performance, and recovery? I can help with nutrition advice for athletes and the best diet advice for you. Email me at paul@performancegains.co.uk or book a free consultation at www.performancegainsnutrition.com
