SSE 219: Protein requirements of master athletes: do they need more than their younger contemporaries?
SSE 219: Protein requirements of master athletes: do they need more than their younger contemporaries? is organized by Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI).
Course Expiration: 05/15/2026
Description:
Dietary protein is essential for an athlete’s recovery and adaptation as it provides the requisite amino acid building blocks to repair and remodeling old and/or damaged proteins, especially within working skeletal muscle. Amino acids may also be used as a source of fuel during exercise that requires high mitochondrial flux (e.g. repeated sprint and steady state endurance exercise) and therefore must be consumed in the diet to replenish these exercise-induced losses of the essential amino acids (e.g. branched chain amino acids). The majority of research on protein requirements for athletes have been performed in young individuals, which opens debate as to whether Master athletes would require similar or greater intakes. Available evidence suggest current recommendations for younger athletes would also translate to Master athletes. As opposed to daily protein targets that have been the focus of past research, current practice suggests the most efficient strategy to consume the daily protein requirement is to focus on consuming meals with a moderate amount of protein spaced regularly throughout the day. There is little evidence to suggest that protein requirements in older Master athletes are different between men and women, although estrogen is generally ‘protein-sparing’ and therefore can reduce protein requirements by ~10-15%. There appears to be an opportunity to educate Master athletes as to their meal protein requirements, which may be a safe and effective way to improve their training recovery and adaptation.
Course Objectives:
• Utilize the available information on dietary protein recommendations when designing your athlete’s nutrition plan.
• Describe the how dietary protein predominantly supports an athlete’s training and recovery
• Discuss why protein recommendations may not be affected by age in Master athletes
• Describe how proper meal planning (frequency and protein amount) can help Master athletes meet their daily protein recommendations
Additional details will be posted as soon as information is available.
