SINGAPORE – Seniors often consume less protein than they require, but adding more protein can be as simple as incorporating eggs into regular noodle dishes or choosing lean meats, fish, tofu and beans.
During an In Perspective roundtable discussion on ageing well hosted by The Straits Times on Oct 6, panellists shared practical advice on how nutrition and exercise can help seniors maintain muscle strength and independence. The discussion was held in partnership with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC).
Rachel Ngo, director of the physical activity and healthy ageing division at the Health Promotion Board (HPB), noted that seniors require about 1.2g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily.
For a person who weighs 60kg, this means eating around 72g of protein daily.
According to HealthHub’s dietary guidelines, younger adults aged 18 to 49 need only about 0.8g per kilogram – or roughly 48g for the same 60kg body weight. Older adults aged 50 and above are advised to consume extra protein to slow down age-related muscle loss.
“People have this misconception, especially seniors, about protein. As they age, they think they need less, or that protein in the form of meat is bad for them,” Ngo said.
“But actually the converse is true.”
She suggested building about 25g of protein into each meal, choosing lean meats over processed options, and including fish, tofu and beans.
Based on nutritional data from HealthHub, adding just one egg contributes 6g to 7g of protein, covering nearly 10% of a 60kg senior’s daily target.
Similarly, incorporating a serving of tofu adds 7g to 20g of protein, fulfilling up to 27% of the daily 72g requirement.
To build and protect muscle, nutrition needs to go hand in hand with physical activity, said Samuel Chew, senior consultant in geriatric medicine at Changi General Hospital.
He highlighted that protein stimulates muscle protein synthesis, but combining it with resistance exercise creates an even better synergy for stronger muscles.
“If we can put it in a way that we are doing this so that you can live independently, get up, go out, and meet your friends – it changes their whole perspective,” he noted.
For people who are unfamiliar with the gym, Chew advised starting small with familiar movements at home, such as doing 20 sit-to-stand chair squats a day.
Over time, working up to exercises that use at least 40 per cent of your one-repetition maximum weight can give you measurable and lasting improvements, he said.
A one-repetition maximum refers to the heaviest weight a person can lift just once. For example, if a senior’s maximum lift is 10kg, training at the recommended intensity of 40% means exercising with at least 4kg of weight or resistance.
Physical health and brain health closely linked
Lim Jun Pei, senior consultant in geriatric medicine at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, noted that families should watch out for early physical and cognitive warning signs.
She pointed out that physical limits and brain health are closely linked, explaining that “we find patients who have unsteady gait and frequent falls actually do have some cognitive concerns as well”.
She advised challenging themselves to use the stairs and keep moving rather than letting physical limitations lead to social isolation and a decline in thinking skills.
Chew stressed the importance of getting older patients moving as soon as possible during hospital stays, saying: “The key principle of our care in geriatric medicine is to move our patients as soon as we can.”
(From left) ST senior correspondent Joyce Teo, CGH senior consultant in geriatric medicine Samuel Chew, AIC chief of active ageing division Soh Swee Ping, HPB director of the physical activity and healthy ageing division Rachel Ngo, and TTSH senior consultant in geriatric medicine Lim Jun Pei on Oct 6.
ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Soh Swee Ping, chief of the active ageing division at AIC, said seniors can benefit greatly from staying connected through community facilities.
“For active ageing centres, they are built in different parts of Singapore to provide accessibility and convenience for older persons who are relatively well,” she said.
“Once you feel stronger, you will naturally want to do more and improve further.”
Emphasising the importance of daily habits, Soh noted that “if we are able to do all these things consistently over time, I think these ordinary things will become extraordinary to better our life”.
Whether through simple body-weight squats at home, eating enough protein or staying active in the community, the experts agreed that maintaining muscle strength is essential to ageing well and remaining independent.
In Perspective is a research-led content programme by SPH Media that combines insight-driven storytelling with expert perspectives on key issues shaping society.