At 50, your muscles need more protein. End of story.

Where the math comes from

The old 0.8 g/kg RDA was set as a minimum to prevent deficiency in healthy young adults. The PROT-AGE expert group recommends healthy older adults aim for at least 1.0–1.2 g/kg per day, and 1.2–1.5 g/kg for those who are active or dealing with illness. ESPEN gives the same starting range. Cutting calories raises the requirement further, because protein is what keeps the weight you lose from coming out of muscle.

• Maintaining — 1.2 g/kg, the middle of the PROT-AGE range.
• Building muscle — 1.6 g/kg, where the muscle-gain benefit in training studies flattens out.
• Losing fat — 1.8 g/kg, higher because a calorie deficit puts muscle at risk.
• Training — 0.2 g/kg added for hard training, 0.1 g/kg trimmed for light activity.

Why the per-meal number matters after 50

Aging muscle is less responsive to protein — researchers call it anabolic resistance. A 20 g serving that switches on muscle building in a 25-year-old often does not do the same job at 60. The practical fix is bigger doses: roughly 25–40 g of quality protein per meal, spread across the day rather than piled into dinner.

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