Although physical performance deteriorated in the men and
women studied over a three-year period, more evenly distributed protein intake
-- independent of the total quantity -- was associated with higher
muscle-strength scores in both sexes, the team found.
They gathered data for 827 men and 914 women ages 67 to 84
and found that eating protein at morning, noon and evening meals resulted in
higher muscle-strength scores on hand grip, arm and leg measures.
“The important point is to create three meal occasions with
sufficient protein to stimulate muscle building and greater strength, instead
of just one," study author Stephanie Chevalier, assistant professor of
medicine at McGill, said in a post on the university’s website.
The study results were published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition.
