If you think protein is just for building muscle, think again. In my latest video, I explore the protein paradox—how the right amount of protein can help you thrive, while too much (or too little) can accelerate aging. I walk through the science behind how protein influences longevity, including the role of amino acids like leucine, methionine, and isoleucine, and how pathways like mTOR and IGF-1 are affected by your age, diet, and activity level.
Whether you’re in your 30s or 70s, there’s guidance here to help you tailor your protein intake for both health and longevity. From how much protein you should really be getting, to the best timing and sources, I break it down so you can eat in a way that not only builds but sustains. Check out the full video to learn how to balance protein for a longer, healthier life.
Transcript
00:00
Today we’re going to talk about the truth behind protein. How much should you be intaking per day for longevity? Most people think about protein in terms of muscle, muscle building, recovery, gym goals. And while that’s of course important, it’s just one narrow slice of the picture because protein doesn’t just build our body, it also shapes how fast we age. The science is nuanced and the paradox is real. Too little protein can leave you frail. Too much can activate pro-aging pathways. So, how do we strike
00:28
the right balance? not just to build, but to last. Today, we’re going to explore protein through the lens of longevity science, real data, and practical frameworks you can apply to your life depending on your age, lifestyle, and goals. The research tells us something counterintuitive. Protein’s impact on mortality flips with age. In your 50s, a high protein diet may correlate with increased risk of cancer and all-c causeed mortality. But after 65, the same level of protein becomes protective. In a landmark 18-year study
00:58
from Levine, individuals aged 50 to 65 with high protein intake had a 75% increase in overall mortality and four times increase in cancer deaths. But those over 65, higher protein correlated with lower mortality. Now, you might have noticed I emphasized the word may. This is because correlation found in this study does not necessarily mean causation. But as we’ll explore, the outcomes from the study do align with animal studies. What I described is the protein paradox and it comes down to signaling pathways like IGF-1 and mTor.
01:31
These are the central switches in youth and midlife. Suppressing these signals may reduce cancer risk and slow aging. But in older adults, we want to preserve lean mass, immune function, and physical resilience. That requires protein. So, it’s not about high versus low protein in isolation. It’s about when and in what context. The current RDA for protein is about 08 grams per kilogram of body weight. That’s.36 grams per pound. But that’s a baseline for deficiency prevention, not optimization. For longevity, especially in older
02:03
adults, that’s not enough. Active adults or those in midlife 0.55 to 75 g per pound is a better target. For those over 55, 7 g per pound becomes essential, especially if you want to prevent sarcopenia and preserve independence. We’ll talk about athletes in a little bit. These numbers are total per day, but protein distribution matters. Older muscle needs more per meal to activate synthesis. About 30 grams of protein with 2 and 1/2 g of leucine, the amino acid. So yes, total protein matters, but
02:35
so does timing and amino acid profile. Not all protein is created equal, and that matters for both health and longevity. Let’s start with leucine. Leucine is the key trigger for muscle protein synthesis through mTor activation. Animal proteins like whey and eggs are high in leucine. That’s great for building muscle, but it also means they stimulate mTor more aggressively. On the flip side, plant proteins tend to have lower leucine and methionine, another amino acid. That’s one reason why plant-based diets are
03:03
associated with lower IGF-1 and potentially longer lifespan. But lower mtor activation also means you might need more total grams of plant protein to get the same anabolic effect. So, here’s the play. If you’re younger or midlife and not highly active, favoring plant proteins may help reduce chronic activation of growth pathways. But if you’re older or training hard, you want a more anabolic mix or smart combinations. And then there’s methionine. As I briefly mentioned, it’s found heavily in red meat and eggs.
03:36
Methionine, it’s essential, but excess levels chronically stimulate mTor and reduce stress resilience. In mice, methionine restriction extends lifespan. The good news, plant-based diets tend to naturally limit methionine. And even if you eat meat, you can buffer methionine with glycine. Glycine acts as a methyl buffer. It also stimulates autophagy. It supports the production of the indogenous antioxidant glutathione, and it reduces inflammation. High glycine diets or supplements like collagen or
04:08
Novos’s core can offset some of the downsides of high methane intake. So if you’re carnivore or just eating lots of animal protein, consider balancing it with glycine rich foods, bone broth, gelatin, collagen powder, and let’s not forget isolucine, another branch chain amino acid like leucine. In a recent 2023 study, mice fed a diet with a significant reduction in isolucine lived longer, especially males who saw up to a 33% increase in lifespan. This suggests that excessive isolucine may also chronically activate growth pathways
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like mTor or disrupt metabolic balance. While isolucine is essential and found in all complete proteins, the study adds to growing evidence that specific amino acid restriction, not just overall protein intake, may play a role in slowing aging. On that note, we need to talk about mTor. It’s the central switchboard that links nutrition to cellular aging. When mTor is on, we grow, we build. That’s good until it’s not. Over time, constant mTor activation can suppress autophagy, the process by which your cells clean up damage. Low
05:18
autophagy equals faster aging. So, what turns mTor on? Primarily amino acids, especially methionine, lucine, and isolucine and the hormone IGF-1, which rises with high protein diets and from growth hormone. The more protein you eat, especially in absence of fasting or exercise, the more you’re leaning into growth mode. The longevity play is not to shut off mTor, but to cycle it, to give your body periods of growth and periods of cleanup. That means resistance training plus protein for targeted mtor activation and muscle.
05:48
Overnight fasting for systemic mtor suppression and autophagy boost, occasional low protein days, or extended fasts for cellular reset. This rhythmic approach to mTor mirrors ancestral eating patterns. Feast fast, rebuild, repair. If you’re young, healthy, and sedentary, consider reducing protein a couple days per week. If you’re older, or training intensely, you need more anabolic support. Just make sure you’re also giving yourselves time to repair, particularly if you’re younger, have plenty of muscle mass, and are cleared
06:21
by your doctor. Consider integrating some 24-hour or longer fasts. I do 40 to 72-hour fasts once every few months. Exercises changes the game. Protein needs aren’t static. They rise with activity. strength training, endurance work, recovery, all of that requires protein for repair and adaptation. Resistance trained adults generally see best results around 1.6 to 2 g per kilogram or 73 to.9 g per pound per day. That’s where hypertrophy peaks. Beyond that, there are diminishing returns. I personally maintain about 75 g per pound
06:57
per day, but I don’t carefully count. It’s an approximation. I focus on a minimum effective dose to balance longevity with muscle gain and 75 is the sweet spot for me. What about if you’re cutting calories or older? Higher protein up to 2.2 g per kilogram or 1 g per pound helps preserve lean mass. Endurance athletes need less but still above the RDA. Around 1.2 to 1.6 6 g per kilogram or 0.55 to 75 g per pound depending on volume and intensity especially if they’re older vegan or training long hours. How about sex
07:33
differences? It’s not huge when normalized for lean body mass. The bigger gap is age and activity. Older women especially tend to undereat protein. That’s a big problem. muscle loss, immune dysfunction, poor healing, even mood disturbances, all can follow a low protein diet. Make sure each meal you eat hits the anabolic threshold, especially breakfast. Many people eat, say, 10 g of protein in the morning, 50 grams at dinner. That’s not optimal. Try to split it 30 and 30. So, how do we apply all of this? Here’s a practical
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longevity aligned protein blueprint. First, adjust for age and goals. If you’re under 65, healthy, and not training intensely, 0.8 to 1.2 grams per kilogram per day, or.36 to 75 per pound is enough. If you’re over 65 or training regularly, 1.2 to 1.8 g per kilogram or 0.55 to82 per pound is more appropriate. If you’re in a caloric deficit, you can go up to 1 g per pound. But when it comes to longevity, think of protein as minimum effective dose to maintain muscle, not maximum protein intake. Next, if you’re consuming predominantly
08:45
animal proteins, use collagen, gelatin, or glycine, which you can find in Novo’s Core to buffer the methionine. If you opt for plant proteins that are low in methionine and moderate in leucine and isolucine, make sure you combine different forms of plant proteins for complete amino acid profiles. Balance mTor with autophagy. Use overnight fasts, 12 to 18 hours, as your baseline. Occasionally skip protein and heavy meals. Consider periodic low protein days once per week or during fasting mimicking or prolonged fasts. Supplement
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Protein isn’t good or bad. It’s powerful. And like anything powerful, it needs context. Eat to match your activity level and phase of life. If you’re older, protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass. And while protein is still essential when you’re young, a minimum effective dose approach that’s matched to your physical activity interspersed with periods of protein restriction or fasting is probably best to remain biologically younger for longer. So, thanks for sticking with me. If this added value, share it. Subscribe
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if you want more content like this, and let me know what topics you want deep dives on next. So, until next time, stay strong, stay curious, and slow your age.