Consume Protein Thrice a Day to Maintain Greater Mass and Muscle Strength: Study

Getting adequate protein daily is the key to good health, many health experts often suggest so. You need proteins to build and repair muscles, process nutrients and boost immunity. They are considered as the building blocks of body tissues that include blood vessels, muscles, skin, nails and hair. However, not many of us are aware about the right amount of protein you need to get daily to keep yourself strong and fit. According to a study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating protein in equal portions three a day could lead to greater mass and muscle strength in the elderly.

The study notes that many old people tend to eat protein only during lunch and dinner. Therefore, the team suggests that one should include proteins during breakfast too. For the study, the research team examined both the amount of protein consumed and its distribution among elderly people aged 67 or more. The researchers used the database from a study which included nearly 1,800 people who were followed for about three years. The team reviewed the protein consumption patterns of 827 healthy men and 914 healthy women who were aged 67 to 84 years, all residents of Quebec in Canada. They tried to establish links with variables that included mobility, strength and muscle mass.

The results showed that participants- both men and women- who consumed protein in a balanced way during the day had more muscle strength than those who consumed more during the evening meal and less at breakfast. "We wanted to see if people who added protein sources to breakfast, and therefore, had balanced protein intake through the three meals, had greater muscle strength," said the lead author of the study, Stephanie Chevalier, Assistant Professor at McGill University in Canada.

To include more protein in your breakfast diet, you can add foods like eggs, paneer, yogurt, milk, fish and lentils.

With Inputs from IANS