Protein after 45: the per-meal rule

The target, and why distribution is the real game

The evidence-backed target for adults training to keep muscle: 1.6–2.0 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day (for a 90 kg man: 145–180 g). That part is well known.

What changes after 45: muscle becomes less sensitive to a small protein dose — the per-meal threshold that switches on muscle protein synthesis rises. Three 30–40 g servings beat one giant dinner, even at the same daily total. The check-ins in your program track protein alongside sleep and energy for exactly this reason.

The breakfast gap

Most men this age eat protein backwards: toast at breakfast, a sandwich at lunch, and a big protein dinner — one meal above the threshold, two below it. The fix isn't more food; it's moving 30 g into the morning. Eggs plus Greek yogurt gets you there. A whey shake gets you there in ninety seconds.

Practical rule: protein first at every meal — build the plate around the 30–40 g anchor, then add the rest. Three to four anchored meals a day and the daily total takes care of itself.

The short supplement list

Creatine monohydrate, 3–5 g daily — the one supplement with strong evidence for muscle in this population, and an active research base for bone. Cheap, flavorless, optional. Vitamin D — status declines with age and matters to the bone-density goal; this one is worth a lab number and a physician conversation rather than a guess. That is the entire list — the program never prescribes supplements, and everything here clears with your physician first.