The Study
Even or skewed dietary protein distribution is reflected in the whole-body protein net-balance in healthy older adults: A randomized controlled trial.
This study gave different groups of older people different ways of eating protein and measured what happened in their bodies. It found that spreading protein evenly across meals helped their bodies keep more protein. But it didn't prove this will make them stronger or healthier over time.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
This study tested if spreading protein evenly across three meals helps older bodies use it better than eating most at dinner.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 541 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Even though muscle building didn't change, less protein breakdown means the body kept more protein overall during the day — which could help maintain muscle over time.
- 2When protein was split evenly (30% per meal), amino acids were absorbed better and body protein breakdown was lower in the morning and afternoon.
- 3Muscle building stayed the same as when 60% was eaten at dinner.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Clinical nutrition
Year
2023
Authors
J. Agergaard, Thomas Ehlig Hjermind Justesen, S. Jespersen, Thomas Tagmose Thomsen, L. Holm, G. van Hall
Related Content
Claims (4)
For adults over 65, clinical guidelines state that daily protein intake should be 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight, spread evenly across meals, with additional focus on consuming protein before sleep.
When healthy older adults consume 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass daily, spreading that protein evenly across three meals leads to a greater net gain in whole-body protein over 11 hours than consuming most protein at dinner, because protein breakdown is lower in the morning and afternoon with even distribution.
When healthy older adults consume the same total amount of protein each day, spreading it evenly across three meals leads to higher amino acid absorption and blood levels than consuming most protein at dinner.
In healthy older adults, spreading protein intake evenly throughout the day does not change the rate at which muscle proteins are synthesized compared to consuming most protein in one meal, even though overall protein balance differs between the two patterns.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.