How to Maintain Muscle Mass After 50: Evidence Guide

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How to maintain muscle mass after 50: do muscle-strengthening work at least 2 days a week, eat enough protein, and keep at it for years, not weeks. Creatine has trial evidence behind it in older adults, but it adds to training and doesn’t replace it. Muscle loss with age is gradual, and strength drops faster than size does.

This page is part of our guide to fitness and longevity for men over 50. Much of the research below studied adults older than 60, and I’ll say who was studied each time. I won’t promise a result, because the studies don’t.

How Fast Do Men Lose Muscle Mass With Age?

Slowly, and strength falls faster than size does. A 2012 review in Frontiers in Physiology (Mitchell and colleagues) summarized studies that compared young adults (18 to 45) with people over 65. The median of the rates reported across studies was 4.7% of peak muscle mass per decade in men, with wide variation by method and population. In longitudinal studies of people aged 75, men lost muscle mass at 0.80 to 0.98% a year and strength at 3 to 4% a year.

Strength was lost 2 to 5 times faster than mass, and loss of strength was a more consistent risk for disability and death. That’s why the goal here is staying strong, not just big.

When Does Muscle Loss Start?

Studies disagree. The same review lists starting ages of 27, 45 and 60, depending on the study.

How Do You Maintain Muscle Mass After 50 With Strength Training?

Lift or do other resistance work on a schedule. The National Strength and Conditioning Association’s position statement on older adults (Fragala and colleagues, 2019) concludes that resistance training is a powerful way to counter the loss of muscle strength and mass, and links it to better mobility, independence and quality of life. It covers program design in detail, and it’s written for older adults in general, not men in their 50s alone.

How Much Strength Training Do You Need Each Week?

The CDC says adults need at least 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity a week that works all the major muscle groups: legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms. That’s alongside 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity. Treat 2 days as the floor.

My suggestion: pick a handful of basic movements that cover those muscle groups, start lighter than your ego wants, and add weight or reps gradually. Write the numbers down. If you have joint pain, heart disease or a long layoff behind you, ask your doctor or a trainer before you start.

Training and lifespan are linked too. See our page on strength training and lifespan for men for what that research does and doesn’t show.

How Much Protein Do You Need to Keep Muscle After 50?

More than the bare minimum, and the exact target depends on which group you ask. The PROT-AGE Study Group (Bauer and colleagues, 2013) recommends at least 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight a day for people over 65, and at least 1.2 g/kg a day for those who exercise. It notes people with severe kidney disease may need to limit protein.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition’s position stand on protein (Jager and colleagues, 2017) puts it at 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg a day for exercising people who want to build or keep muscle. That stand covers healthy exercising individuals, not older men specifically.

For a 200-pound man (about 91 kg), that works out to roughly 110 grams a day at 1.2 g/kg and roughly 180 grams at 2.0 g/kg. Our guide to protein needs for men over 50 goes through the math and food sources.

Does Protein Per Meal Matter?

The ISSN stand suggests about 0.25 g of high-quality protein per kg of body weight, or 20 to 40 grams, per serving, spread across the day about every 3 to 4 hours. It also says recommendations for the amount per serving for athletes are mixed and depend on age and recent training. PROT-AGE says evidence on protein timing and quality isn’t yet strong enough for specific advice.

Do Protein Supplements Help?

A 2018 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Morton and colleagues) pooled 49 trials with 1,863 healthy adults who did resistance training for at least 6 weeks. Protein supplements modestly increased strength and fat-free mass. The benefit for fat-free mass got smaller as age went up, and total intakes above about 1.6 g/kg a day added no further fat-free mass. The adults weren’t limited to men over 50, so this is a guide, not a prediction.

Does Creatine Help Maintain Muscle Mass After 50?

It has trial support when it’s paired with resistance training. The ISSN’s creatine position stand (Kreider and colleagues, 2017) cites a meta-analysis of 357 older adults, averaging 64 years, who did about 12.6 weeks of resistance training. Those taking creatine gained more muscle mass, strength and functional capacity than those training alone. That group wasn’t limited to men over 50, and 12 weeks says little about years.

What Dose of Creatine Do Studies Use?

Once muscle stores are full, the ISSN says they can generally be maintained with 3 to 5 grams a day. Starting at that dose raises them over about 3 to 4 weeks. The stand found no compelling evidence of harm from creatine monohydrate at up to 30 g a day for 5 years in healthy people, from infants to the elderly. If you have kidney disease, check with your doctor first.

Is Arq8 a Fit?

If you decide to try creatine, talk to your doctor first. Arq8 FullDissolve Nano-Creatine Monohydrate Powder is one option. The maker’s page says to take one 5 gram scoop once a day, says the powder is third-party tested for purity and heavy metals, and says it’s made in FDA-registered, cGMP facilities. The page also carries absorption claims, and it notes that its statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

My read: the trial evidence above is for creatine monohydrate in general. I haven’t seen trials of the “nano” form, so I’d judge any creatine by its dose and purity, not by that label. Our best creatine for men over 50 page compares the choices.

What Is Sarcopenia and How Is It Diagnosed?

Sarcopenia is a muscle disease that is common in older age. The EWGSOP2 consensus (Cruz-Jentoft and colleagues, 2019) treats low muscle strength as a key characteristic, uses low muscle quantity or quality to confirm the diagnosis, and counts poor physical performance as a sign of severe sarcopenia. It can occur earlier in life. Diagnosis is a clinician’s job, so don’t self-diagnose from this page. If you notice weaker grip, slower walking or trouble getting out of a chair, bring it up at your next visit.

How Do You Keep Muscle While Losing Weight?

Losing weight, especially on a medication, changes the muscle question enough that it has its own guide. See how to keep muscle on GLP-1 as a man over 50. Talk to the prescriber who manages your medication before changing training or protein.

Tips to Build Muscle Back This Month

Put 2 strength days on the calendar. Pick a protein target you can hit and track it for a week. Then repeat for a year, because muscle responds to what you keep doing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can men over 50 still build muscle?

Resistance training is the tool the NSCA position statement points to for countering the loss of muscle strength and mass in older adults. How much a given man adds depends on his training history, protein, health and consistency, and I can’t give you a number. If you’re returning after years off, start light.

How much protein should I eat each day after 50?

Groups differ. PROT-AGE recommends at least 1.2 g per kg of body weight a day for exercising people over 65. The ISSN gives 1.4 to 2.0 g/kg for exercising people. A meta-analysis found no further gain in fat-free mass above about 1.6 g/kg. People with kidney disease should ask their doctor before raising protein.

How many days a week should I lift?

The CDC’s adult guideline calls for at least 2 days a week of muscle-strengthening activity that works all major muscle groups. Many men do more, but 2 is the stated minimum.

Is creatine safe for older men?

The ISSN position stand found no compelling evidence that creatine monohydrate harms otherwise healthy people at up to 30 g a day for up to 5 years. That’s not a promise for any one man. If you have kidney disease or take medications, ask your doctor first.

How do I know if I have sarcopenia?

A clinician diagnoses it. Under EWGSOP2, low muscle strength is the first flag, confirmed by measuring muscle quantity or quality. Ask your doctor about it if you notice weakness or declining physical performance.

Medical disclaimer: This page is general information, not medical advice. It doesn’t diagnose or treat any condition, and it isn’t a substitute for your doctor. Talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program or supplement, especially if you have a heart, kidney, joint or metabolic condition or take prescription medication.

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How to Maintain Muscle Mass After 50