Protein Needs for Women Over 50 — Why the RDA Is Not Enough

The RDA Is a Floor, Not a Target

The Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight per day. This was designed to prevent deficiency in sedentary adults, not to optimize muscle maintenance, bone density, or metabolic function in active women over 50.

Anabolic Resistance After 50

Muscle protein synthesis in older adults requires a higher protein stimulus than in younger adults to produce the same anabolic response. This means the protein that maximally stimulated muscle synthesis at 30 may produce only a partial response at 55. The practical implication: protein per meal should increase, not decrease, with age.

What the Evidence Recommends

The emerging consensus from geriatric nutrition research puts the optimal protein target for women over 50 at 1.2 to 1.6 g per kilogram of body weight. For a 140-pound woman, this means 77 to 102 g of protein daily — roughly double the RDA. Resistance training shifts the need toward the higher end.

Protein Distribution Matters

Spreading protein evenly across three meals of 25 to 40 g each produces better muscle protein synthesis outcomes than front- or back-loading. Breakfast is the meal most commonly under-protein-dosed.

Where Bison Protein Fits

Bison protein bars provide 21 g of protein per bar with a complete amino acid profile. As a mid-morning or afternoon snack, they fill a common protein distribution gap without adding seed oils or high glycemic load. Genesee Founders 250 at $299 per year gives early members access to the full stack as it expands.