Should Seniors Be Drinking Protein Shakes?

Name: TenderHearted Home Care and Samaritan Healthcare
Address: 130 N Arlington St, Suite H, Salisbury, North Carolina, 28144, United States
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By TenderHearted Home Care, LLC | December 14, 2021 |

Senior folks may choose to take a cue from body builders and incorporate whey protein drinks into their diets on a regular basis. According to McMaster University researchers, drinking a whey-based shake increased the physical strength of men over the age of 70. The outcomes were obvious after ingesting the shakes alone, and improved when combined with exercise.

Personal care at home can help keep a senior on track with diet but not all of them have a formal education in nutrition. It will be crucial to ensure that personal care at home researches new diets and helps a senior stick to whatever their doctor says. Here is an overview of the study and the results the research team found. Personal care at home may want to start giving their seniors protein shakes.

Understanding The Study

Personal Care at Home Rockwell, NC: Protein Shakes

Stuart Phillips, PhD, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and a member of McMaster’s Institute for Research on Aging, led the research team. The researchers investigated the possibility of mixing substances to combat sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia, which happens as muscle mass and strength deteriorate with age, can impair people’s ability to do daily activities, including ascending stairs. This was the first study to examine if a combination of whey protein, creatine, vitamin D, calcium, and fish oil could provide a solution for sarcopenia prevention.

For six weeks, two groups of men aged 70 and older received either a whey-based supplement or a placebo and did not exercise. Following that, participants continued to take the supplements or placebo and added a 12-week exercise program that included high-intensity interval training and weight training twice a week.

The males observed gains in muscular health both before and after beginning the workout plan. They gained 700 grams of lean body mass as a result of the supplement. There were considerably higher muscular increases in research participants who took the supplement and completed the exercise program.

Adding in Exercise

One thing that made a huge difference was those seniors who added in strength training. This doesn’t mean they need to list heavy weights, but they do need to add in some type of weights. Even small light weights to add resistance training in their daily routine will help a senior build muscle mass.

Personal care at home can encourage a senior to get moving and stay active. Even if a senior can’t move around much, protein shakes can be a great thing to add into a diet. This may help them maintain muscle or recover from surgeries.

It can also be a great way to add in extra calories if they are missing nutrients. This is also a good way to get them to eat something when they may not want to chew on anything. Some protein shakes can be blended with other ingredients to get other vitamins and minerals important for seniors to consume.