As our society ages, the prevalence of age-related diseases—including cardiovascular, metabolic, and musculoskeletal diseases —continues to rise. Among these is sarcopenia, a musculoskeletal diseases, characterized by decline in muscle mass and strength. Sarcopenia significantly increases the risk of frailty, physical disability, and institutionalization in older adults. Major causes to this condition include physical inactivity and inadequate dietary protein intake.
This symposium will explore the critical role of dietary protein in supporting healthy ageing, with an emphasis on managing sarcopenia across diverse older populations. I will present recent findings on the acute effects of dietary protein on muscle protein synthesis, as well as long-term outcomes from randomized controlled trials assessing the impact of dietary protein—administered in various forms, with and without exercise—on muscle mass in community-dwelling, frail, institutionalized, migrant, and hospitalized older adults.
In addition, I will highlight emerging research on sustainable plant-based protein diets and their implications for ageing populations. As the global shift toward plant-based diets accelerates, it is essential to evaluate the protein quantity, protein source and protein quality in relation to muscle health, cardiometabolic outcomes, and frailty. While such dietary transitions offer environmental and broader health benefits, careful design is needed to ensure nutritional adequacy for older adults, particularly regarding protein requirements in different care settings.
This presentation will provide practical and evidence-based insights into optimizing protein quantity, protein source and protein quality to support healthy ageing in a changing nutritional landscape.