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How important is the right amount of macro and micronutrients? What training stimuli is needed to stay healthy and competitive for as long as possible?

As we age, our bodies undergo both physical and mental changes. You've spent years gathering a wealth of experience and developing solution-based approaches to specific problems. You've come to understand your body's needs regarding your sport. You're probably well aware of your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to training. You might also be familiar with what you need to look out for in order to avoid overtraining or injury. Perhaps you've even come up with your own nutrition plan. You've found the nutrition you need before, during and after exercise to get the best out of your training sessions and recover well. Despite all this, physiological changes occur as we age, and these shouldn't be ignored. Athletes looking to achieve maximum performance and muscle function for as long as possible need to pay extra attention to these changes.

Physiological changes in the body as we age

If we don't exercise consistently, this inevitably leads to physical changes. As previously mentioned, this has a lot to do with the training itself. On the other hand, there are also clear correlations related to ageing, such as a loss of muscle mass over the years. Without sufficient strength training, this can eventually lead to sarcopenia - muscular atrophy - in old age. It is also worth noting that a loss of bone density can occur. Without strength and balance, this can lead to more falls and broken bones in older age, due to the lower bone density. Metabolic changes, such as changes in energy consumption, also need to be observed. This often leads to an increase in fat mass while appetite and energy intake decrease. If the body doesn’t receive enough nutrients, this can have a direct impact on its composition (e.g. muscle and fat mass). These changes then become even more pronounced (including loss of muscle, strength, bone density and reduced fat content).

An entire book could be written about the various physical changes and impacts of ageing. It’s also worth mentioning the hormonal changes. For women, this happens following the menopause. However, changes can also happen that affect other hormones (including the thyroid hormone) or growth factors (including IGF-1).

Nutritional recommendations for older athletes

It’s important to take individual aspects into consideration in order to provide specific nutritional recommendations. These include the person's age, the physiological changes they are experiencing and what their current training schedule looks like. In general, nutrients are the real key here.  Even if your appetite is waning, you need to ensure an adequate supply of nutrients. For example, a lack of protein can result in a loss of muscle mass. A high protein intake of 1.6 to 2.2 g per kilo of body weight, split across 4 to 6 servings, is crucial as we age. This corresponds to portions of around 20 to 35 g of protein. Depending on the situation, it may be a good idea to adapt your diet or take nutritional supplements in order to reach this target amount, even with a decreased appetite The amount of leucine, an amino acid, also plays an important role.

Along with protein, carbohydrate and fat are two other key macronutrients. While sufficient energy intake is necessary to improve the quality of training, it is also essential for maximising our ability to recover. Energy and micronutrients also play a major role when it comes to maintaining physical health. A lack of vitamin D can be detrimental to bone health and calcium is also important. In particular, those experiencing a decrease in appetite should generally ensure they get enough micronutrients (including iron) and antioxidants. Fruit and vegetables should be factored into the daily diet. This might also be in pureed or liquid form.

Menopausal women should also consider taking creatine. When combined with strength training, a creatine supplement can help to improve muscle mass and bone health.

Conclusion

The topic of nutrition in older athletes is extremely important with many individual factors to take into consideration. This article highlights the importance of the right amount of macro and micronutrients along with training stimuli in order to stay healthy and competitive for as long as possible.