Beef Up to Maintain Muscle

Sarcopenia, or the gradual loss of muscle mass, is a common consequence of aging, and poses a significant risk factor for disability in older adults.  Stuart M. Phillips, from McMaster University (Canada), and colleagues enrolled 45 men, average age 59 years, in a study that found that eating a six-ounce (170 g) serving of 85% lean ground beef resulted in significant treatment the rate of muscle protein synthesis following exercise. This determination is double the current recommended serving sizes of meat in Canada.   Study authors propose that: "Ingestion of 170 g of beef protein is required to stimulate a rise in myofibrillar [muscle protein synthesis] over and above that seen with lower doses.”