Nourishing Strength: The Vital Role of Nutrition and Muscle Health in the Older Adult

Course Description

Explore how targeted nutrition and lifestyle strategies play a critical role in preserving muscle health and physical function in older adults. This course examines essential nutrients, the consequences of malnutrition on frailty and quality of life, and practical interventions to prevent sarcopenia. Emphasis is placed on a holistic approach that integrates nutrition, physical activity, and lifestyle modifications to support healthy aging. This program was originally presented as a live webinar on 29 October 2025.

Course Objectives:

• Discuss the critical role of nutrition in maintaining overall health and well-being in older individuals. 
• Identify essential nutrients that support muscle health and prevent frailty and muscle loss in the aging population. 
• Recognize the consequences of malnutrition on muscle health and overall quality of life in aging adults.
• Examine practical strategies and interventions to enhance muscle health and prevent sarcopenia. 
• Demonstrate the importance of a holistic approach, combining nutrition, physical activity, and lifestyle modifications to support healthy aging.

Key Takeaways:

• Muscle loss with aging is common but modifiable. Physiological changes, chronic conditions, and reduced activity accelerate the decline in muscle mass, strength, and quality, yet targeted nutrition and exercise can slow this progression.
• Malnutrition significantly worsens muscle health and outcomes in older adults. Influenced by biological, social, and economic factors, malnutrition increases frailty, fall risk, hospitalization, and health care costs but remains a modifiable risk factor in this patient population.
• Combining adequate protein intake with consistent resistance training is critical for healthy aging. Higher protein intakes distributed across meals, paired with strength training and personalized lifestyle support, can help preserve muscle mass and build nutritional resilience.

Related Questions:

• What physiological and metabolic changes are associated with aging that contribute to muscle loss?
  Aging is associated with multiple interrelated physiological and metabolic changes that contribute to progressive muscle loss, including declines in muscle mass and strength, reduced physical activity, and the development of anabolic resistance, which blunts the muscle protein synthesis response to dietary protein and exercise. Age-related changes in body composition, characterized by decreased lean mass and increased fat mass, further impair muscle function, while lower energy intake and reduced appetite can limit protein consumption needed to maintain muscle tissue. Additional contributors include gastrointestinal changes that affect nutrient digestion and absorption, altered renal and hepatic function that influence protein metabolism, and endocrine changes such as menopause, all of which reduce the efficiency with which nutrients support muscle maintenance.
  
• What is sarcopenia, and how does it relate to muscle function?
  Sarcopenia is characterized by the combined loss of muscle mass and muscle strength, leading to impaired physical function. It represents a clinically significant condition rather than a normal aspect of aging, as it is associated with increased risk of frailty, disability, and loss of independence. Sarcopenia highlights the interconnected nature of muscle mass, strength, and functional capacity in older adults.
• What protein intake levels support muscle health in older adults?
  Evidence indicates that protein intakes greater than the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 0.8 g/kg/day are needed to support muscle health in older adults. Intake levels of 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg/day are associated with improved muscle maintenance, strength, and function in healthy older adults, while intakes of 1.2 to 1.5 g/kg/day are recommended in the presence of illness or frailty. The RDA represents a minimum intake to prevent deficiency and is not based on muscle outcomes.