Protein Intake
Dietary protein is the primary anabolic signal for muscle protein synthesis (MPS), with leucine — a branched-chain amino acid abundant in whey and animal proteins — acting as the key mTOR activator. Approximately 20–40 g of high-quality protein per meal is needed to maximally stimulate MPS, and older adults require more to overcome age-related anabolic resistance. Distributing protein evenly across meals and timing intake around resistance exercise further optimises muscle maintenance and growth across the lifespan.
Viewpoints
Rhonda Patrick: Exercise-triggered leucine uptake drives muscle mTOR without systemic activation
Rhonda Patrick
“During and after resistance exercise, leucine is preferentially taken up by contracting muscle where it activates mTOR locally to drive protein synthesis and repair. This exercise-mediated partitioning is beneficial because it confines mTOR activation to muscle tissue rather than triggering systemic mTOR in the vasculature — an important distinction for longevity-oriented protein timing strategies.”
Stuart Phillips: Older adults need more protein per meal to overcome anabolic resistance
Stuart Phillips
“Aging blunts the muscle protein synthetic response to a given dose of protein — anabolic resistance. To compensate, older adults require a higher per-meal protein dose (around 40 g versus the 20 g that saturates MPS in young individuals) and benefit especially from leucine-rich sources combined with resistance training to maintain muscle mass and prevent sarcopenia.”
Key Moments
Rhonda Patrick: 20 g high-quality protein provides the leucine threshold to maximally stimulate MPS
Rhonda Patrick
“The minimum leucine dose to switch on mTOR-mediated MPS is reached with approximately 20 g of a complete, high-quality protein such as whey. Leucine is the master trigger but all essential amino acids are required substrates — subthreshold doses drive amino acid oxidation rather than net muscle accretion, making dose adequacy critical for training adaptation.”
Luc Van Loon: Distributing protein evenly across meals maximises long-run muscle anabolism
Luc Van Loon
“Distributing daily protein across three to four evenly spaced meals maximises the efficiency with which amino acids are used for MPS. Eating the majority of protein at a single meal drives amino acid oxidation rather than anabolism — making distribution as important as total daily intake, especially for older adults trying to prevent sarcopenia.”
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