Muscle – The Organ of Longevity

Muscle is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of healthy aging and longevity. Experts such as Dr. Gabrielle Lyon emphasise that muscle acts as the body’s armour, protecting against illness, injury, and age-related challenges.

The Role of Muscle in Longevity

• Metabolic Health: Muscle tissue plays a vital role in regulating blood sugar levels and overall metabolic function.
• Physical Resilience: Maintaining muscle mass enhances strength, balance, and mobility, reducing the risk of falls and injuries.
• Disease Prevention: Adequate muscle mass is associated with a lower risk of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular conditions.

Prioritising muscle health through regular resistance training and adequate protein intake is essential for promoting longevity and a higher quality of life.

Why Protein Needs Increase with Age

As we age, our bodies require more high-quality protein to maintain muscle mass, strength, and overall health. Here’s why:

1. Anabolic Resistance – The body becomes less efficient at using protein, requiring higher intake to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
2. Hormonal Decline – Lower levels of testosterone, estrogen, and growth hormone reduce muscle-building capacity.
3. Sarcopenia (Muscle Loss) – Without enough protein, muscle breakdown outpaces growth, leading to weakness and mobility issues.
4. Slower Recovery – Aging reduces collagen production and tissue repair, increasing protein needs for joint, bone, and muscle health.
5. Reduced Absorption – Digestion efficiency declines, making it harder to extract nutrients from food, requiring higher-quality protein sources.

Collagen Support – While not a complete protein, collagen peptides maintain skin, joints, and bones, complementing a high-protein diet.

Understanding Protein Needs

• Essential Amino Acids: The body requires nine essential amino acids from dietary sources to function optimally. Complete proteins, which contain all essential amino acids, are found in animal products and some plant-based sources like soy. 

• Leucine’s Importance: Leucine, a branched-chain amino acid, is particularly crucial for stimulating muscle protein synthesis, aiding in muscle maintenance and growth. 



Incorporating Formettā into Your Protein Strategy

While Formettā’s collagen peptides are not complete proteins, they provide specific amino acids that support collagen production, benefiting skin, joint, and bone health. Including Formettā alongside other protein sources can enhance your overall protein intake strategy.

Balancing your diet with a variety of high-quality protein sources ensures you receive all essential amino acids necessary for maintaining muscle mass and supporting longevity.

How Much Protein Do You Need Per Day?

Like most things in nutrition, protein requirements aren’t one-size-fits-all. Your ideal intake depends on health status, body composition, goals, and the type, intensity, and frequency of physical activity. Even with these factors considered, any recommendation serves as a starting point—fine-tuning through self-experimentation is key.

As a general guideline, healthy individuals without medical conditions requiring protein restriction should aim for at least 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (g/kg/d), regardless of activity level or body composition. Some experts advocate for a much higher intake, recommending 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. They emphasise that the commonly cited Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of 0.8 grams per kilogram is insufficient for building and maintaining muscle mass, especially as we age. 

Protein intake can be challenging for individuals practicing fasting or time-restricted feeding, as it may increase the risk of protein deficiency and subsequent muscle loss.

Why Protein is Essential for Longevity and Muscle Health

As we age, maintaining muscle mass and strength becomes critical—not just for aesthetics, but for metabolic health, mobility, and overall longevity. Research continues to reinforce the importance of high-quality protein intake and resistance training in preventing muscle loss, supporting recovery, and improving physical function.

Recent studies have debunked outdated myths about protein consumption and have shed light on how much protein we really need, when to consume it, and which sources are most effective. Here are some of the latest findings that can help you optimize your protein intake:

1. Your Body Can Use More Protein Than You Think

A common myth suggests that the body can only absorb 20–30 grams of protein per meal, but new research challenges this idea. A recent study by Trommelen et al. (2023) found that consuming 100 grams of protein in a single meal stimulated greater muscle and whole-body protein synthesis than just 25 grams. This means that total daily protein intake is more important than how it’s distributed across meals—your body can use far more protein than previously thought.

“The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans.”
– The Journal of Physiology¹

Another randomized controlled trial found that consuming 40 grams of protein in a single meal led to greater muscle and whole-body protein synthesis compared to just 25 grams. ²

2. Resistance Training + Protein = Stronger Aging

A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials in older adults showed that combining resistance training with protein supplementation led to significant improvements in physical function, measured by walking speed, compared to exercise alone (Morton et al., 2018). This reinforces that protein enhances the benefits of strength training, making it even more effective for longevity.³

3. Heavy Resistance Training Has Long-Lasting Benefits

A year-long resistance training program in older adults helped maintain muscle strength and lean mass for three years, even after the program ended (Stec et al., 2017). This suggests that investing in strength training now can pay off for years to come, reducing the risk of sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss).⁴

4. The Best Protein Sources for Muscle Growth

A network meta-analysis found that adults gained the most muscle and strength when consuming protein from dairy (e.g., whey, milk), meat, or mixed sources (Tagawa et al., 2023). While timing (such as post-workout or at night) had some influence, the total quality and quantity of protein mattered most.⁵

How Formettā Fits Into Your Protein Strategy

While collagen isn’t a complete protein, it plays a crucial role in supporting connective tissues, joints, skin, and bone health—all of which naturally decline with age. Adding Formettā’s Bioactive Collagen Peptides® alongside high-quality dietary protein ensures your body gets everything it needs for longevity, strength, and recovery.

The Takeaway

• Muscle is key to aging well—but it needs adequate protein and strength training to stay strong.
• You can absorb and utilize more protein than previously thought, so focus on total daily intake rather than meal timing restrictions.
• Dairy, meat, and mixed protein sources appear to be the most effective for muscle growth.

Collagen peptides complement your protein intake by supporting joint, bone, and connective tissue health—helping you move and train pain-free.

References

1. Trommelen, J., et al. (2023). “The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans.” The Journal of Physiology.  ↩︎
2. Macnaughton LS, et al. (2016). “The response of muscle protein synthesis following whole-body resistance exercise is greater following 40 g than 20 g of ingested whey protein.” Physiological Reports, 4(15), e12893. ↩︎
3. Morton RW, et al. (2018). “A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training–induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults.” British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(6), 376-384. ↩︎
4. Stec MJ, et al. (2017). “Long-Term Resistance Training Preserves Fat-Free Mass in Aging.” The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 72(4), 508-515. ↩︎
5. Tagawa R, et al. (2023). “Effects of different protein sources and timing of ingestion on muscle mass and strength in resistance-trained individuals: A network meta-analysis.” Sports Medicine, 53(2), 303-319. ↩︎