By age 80, the average person has lost up to 50% of their muscle mass. But here's what most people don't know: the process starts in your 30s. Quietly, gradually, and almost entirely without symptoms.
Researchers call it sarcopenia. And it's one of the most consequential and least discussed health challenges of aging.
Muscle loss isn't just about how you look or how strong you feel at the gym. It affects how fast you walk, how well you recover from illness, how stable you are on your feet, and how independently you're able to live as the decades pass. Studies have linked lower muscle mass in midlife to higher rates of hospitalization, longer recovery times, and increased mortality risk in older adults. The good news is that research is equally clear about what slows it down.
A 2025 clinical study compared two groups of elderly women with measurable muscle loss. One group consumed the standard recommended protein intake. The other consumed 50% more. The difference in muscle preservation between the two groups was significant enough that researchers concluded current protein guidelines for older adults may simply be too low.
So what does the research recommend?
Most nutrition scientists studying muscle aging now suggest a starting target of 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for relatively sedentary older adults. For a 150-pound person, that's roughly 82 grams of protein daily. For a 180-pound person, closer to 98 grams. That's the floor.
For people who are physically active, that number goes up. For people who are trying to rebuild muscle they've already lost, it goes up further still. And for anyone starting from a deficit, simply maintaining at 1.2g/kg won't be enough to recover what's already been lost — it takes more to rebuild than it does to maintain.
Most people aren't anywhere near even the baseline number.
Longevity delivers 25 grams of protein per serving — including whole milk protein and 16.5 grams of collagen peptides — making it a meaningful contribution toward hitting that daily target as part of a complete nutritional routine.
Because the best time to start protecting your muscle is before you notice it's gone.