Healthy Aging
& Muscle Health
Why This Matters Now
“The ‘young old’ (i.e., 60+ y) population will double by 2050 and the ‘older old’ (i.e., 80+ y) will nearly triple. (Booth, et al., 2026) As people age, maintaining strength, mobility, and independence may be some among the most important health goals older adults have.
Nutrition is an important part of that conversation.
Why Muscle Health Matters
While many people associate muscle with athletic performance, muscle health is also closely connected to everyday activities, physical function, and whole-body protein metabolism, which plays a key role in the response to stress, as well as to the development and prevention of many common pathologic conditions and chronic diseases.
Maintaining muscle health may help support:
How Protein Needs Change With Age
Protein supports
Understanding Sarcopenia
“After age 60 y, the mean skeletal muscle mass loss is ~1% per year, whereas strength decreases by ~3% per year. Identifying strategies that mitigate loss of muscle, strength, and function is vital for maintaining independence and quality of life in older adulthood.” (Booth, et al., 2026) Sarcopenic muscle loss can affect:
Helping patients understand the relationship between muscle health and physical function can create more meaningful conversations around healthy aging.
Understanding Sarcopenia & Age-Related Muscle Loss
Sarcopenia is the progressive loss of muscle mass and muscle function that can occur with aging.
Nutrition’s Role in Healthy Aging
Nutrition, physical activity, and healthy lifestyle habits all play important roles in supporting muscle health.
Protein provides amino acids that support the maintenance and repair of muscle tissue. Encouraging adequate protein intake of 1.2 – 1.6 g/kg/day and offering practical strategies to help achieve this intake is key for this population.
Creatine & Healthy Aging
When paired with resistance training, creatine may help support muscle strength and physical function.
Interest in creatine continues to grow among adults focused on:
Creatine conversations are expanding beyond sports performance and into healthy aging, muscle health, and maintaining physical function.
FAQ
Nutrition Solutions for
Today’s Patient Conversations
May be relevant when discussing:
- Protein intake
- Active lifestyles
- Recovery needs
- Creatine supplementation
- Convenient nutrition support
May be relevant when discussing:
- Flexible protein delivery formats
- Unflavored protein applications
- Low-carb protein options
- Protein plus hydration solutions
- Everyday protein intake
Interested in Bringing These Solutions Into Your Pharmacy?
