Exploring opportunities to better characterize the effects of dietary protein on health across the lifespan
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2025
Department/School
Health Sciences
Publication Title
Advances in Nutrition
Abstract
Remarkable advances have been made over the last 30 y in understanding the role of dietary protein in optimizing muscle health across the lifespan. That is, acute (<24 h) stable isotope-derived measures of muscle protein synthesis have led to established recommendations for protein quantity, quality, source, and timing of protein ingestion to support muscle health at rest, post exercise, and to overcome age-related anabolic resistance in older adults. Although muscle health is undoubtedly important, moving from muscle to other associated or disease-specific outcomes is a critical next step for the field, given the mounting evidence documenting the effects of dietary protein on measures of chronic disease and age-related decline (for example, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, frailty, and osteoporosis). In this narrative review, we posit that future studies evaluating the potential role of dietary protein build off of the existing knowledge base generated from decades of past research and focus their efforts on closing unanswered knowledge gaps pertaining to dietary protein and health across the lifespan. Throughout this review, we highlight potential methodologies and novel outcome measures that researchers may consider as starting points to facilitate the next 30 y of advances in the field of dietary protein and health.
Link to Published Version
Recommended Citation
Carbone, J. W., Phillips, S. M., Weaver, C. M., Hughes, J. M., & Pasiakos, S. M. (2025). Exploring opportunities to better characterize the effects of dietary protein on health across the lifespan. Advances in Nutrition, 16(1), 100347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100347
Comments
J. W. Carbone is a faculty member in EMU's School of Health Sciences