How Much More Dietary Protein Do Geriatric Clients Need? What Physios Need to Know

TLDR:

• A randomized controlled trial investigated the effects of higher dietary protein intake (1.2-1.5 g/kg) versus the standard RDA (0.8 g/kg) on physical performance and body composition in middle-aged and older adults with type 2 diabetes and reduced muscle mass.
• After 12 weeks, the higher protein group showed improvements in grip strength and timed up and go test, while the control group experienced reductions in lean muscle mass and grip strength.
• The findings suggest that protein intake exceeding the standard RDA may help older adults with type 2 diabetes maintain or improve functional measures and mitigate muscle loss.

If you like what you see here, check out our board-approved continuing education courses for PTs. We cover topics like:

- Nutrition interventions for chronic diseases (e.g., obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases)

- Advanced nutritional strategies to support physical therapy for patients with metabolic disorders

- Case studies demonstrating successful integration of nutrition into physical therapy care plans

Each physical therapy CEU course emphasizes practical, evidence-based learning, ensuring that participants can immediately apply the skills to their clinical practice. Sign up today and save:

Transcript:

Hello everyone, Dr. Wells here with Nutritional Physical Therapy. I've got a research update here for you. This one's titled, The Effects of Dietary Protein on Physical Performance and Body Composition in Middle Age and Older Adults Having Type 2 Diabetes, a Randomized Controlled Trial.

It was published in European Journal of Nutrition in January of 2025. Interesting study because at the end of the day we know that older adults typically do benefit from some additional protein. We do see patients obviously in physical therapy practice that have diabetes and oftentimes we're worried about their muscle mass.

They're at high risk of falling. They have high risk of fractures and what I love about the studies they looked at not just bone, excuse me, muscle mass or muscle density in different areas. They also looked at functional measures that we as physical therapists look at like grip strength and timed up and go.

So for all those PTs out there interested in like how diet can impact some of our older patients, here's a great RCT to check out. In short, it was a 12-week randomized controlled trial. Sample size was 26.

Basically 26 patients that had reductions in muscle mass already. So probably already in a sarcopenic state, right? And basically they looked at different functional outcome measures. So appendicular lean muscle mass, skeletal lean muscle mass, timed up and go, hand grip strength and what they found is they put these individuals into two arms.

The one arm was a control group so that was the standard RDA 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight for protein. The other arm of the trial was in the higher protein group so that was 1.2 to 1.5 grams per kilogram. Interestingly what they found is the group after 12 weeks that had the higher protein had improved grip strength and improved timed up and go.

Now interestingly the group that was in the control arm actually had reductions in appendicular lean muscle mass, skeletal lean muscle mass and hand grip strength. So effectively it looks like the protein helped those individuals from losing more muscle mass and we kind of know this because as we age, particularly from middle age on to older adult stage of life, our muscle protein synthesis stimulation with protein consumption goes down. So to get that same stimulation as the 20 year old we have to ramp that protein level up a little bit.

Does it have to be super super high? No. Does it need to be only protein and no calories from carbohydrates? No. The study shows that just increasing 0.4 grams per kilogram above the RDA was enough to stimulate a little bit more muscle protein synthesis in older adults.

So check out the study. If you like this, check out our courses. They're great continuing education courses for physical therapists.

We have a three part series where you can earn a certificate and start practicing and adding some physical therapy with your nutrition or rather your nutrition with some physical therapy. So hope you have a great day. See you soon.