In young and mid-adulthood, age doesn’t have an impact on daily protein guidelines. That means people in their 50s should continue to meet the standard protein recommendations.
There are two typical ways to determine daily recommended protein intake:
- Your daily caloric intake: Guidelines suggest that 10-35% of the calories adults consume in a day should come from protein. So someone eating a 2,000-calorie diet may want to eat about 100 grams, or 400 calories from protein, each day.
- Your current weight: Alternatively, adults should aim to eat 0.8 grams of protein per 1 kilogram of body weight. That means if someone weighs 70 kilograms (155 pounds), they should eat 56 grams of protein daily.
People who exercise frequently may want to double the recommended amount and consume around 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, particularly if they’re looking to build muscle with strength training.
Although people in their 50s don’t necessarily need more protein than younger adults, meeting the nutrient goal is especially important for people in this age group. Here’s why:
- Muscle mass: Muscle mass declines by about 1% per year once people reach middle age. This is called sarcopenia, or the loss of muscle strength and function over time. Because protein is a building block for muscle, it’s possible that eating enough protein could help protect against sarcopenia. However, research is mixed—one study found high-protein diets actually increased sarcopenia risk.
- Bone mineral density: People lose bone mineral density as they age, which could raise the risk of bone fractures. One 2022 study in older adults found that eating more protein, especially animal protein that could contain calcium, was linked to greater bone mineral density.
- Healthy aging: A 2024 study of women under age 60 found that those who consumed more protein in midlife—particularly plant-based protein—had higher changes of healthy aging. In this study, healthy aging was defined as being free from major chronic disease, having good mental health, and having no cognitive or physical impairments.
Although most people in their 50s should follow standard daily protein recommendations, they’ll likely want to consider increasing their protein intake in the decades to come.
There’s a growing body of research suggesting that the standard 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight isn’t adequate for older people. Some experts say that aging adults actually need between 0.94-1.3 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. Protein intake may need to be even higher—between 1.2-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight—for older adults with short-term or chronic illness.
Meeting protein goals in midlife should set you up for healthier aging. It may also get you in the habit of making protein a priority in your diet, which is crucial once you get older. Calculate what your protein goals should be and see if you are reaching them. If you aren’t, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian about how you can add more protein to your diet.
