Older people—including very fit and active older people—will sometimes stand in front of a mirror and say, What the hell? When did that happen? And what do I do about it?

The problem is this: you never thought about what you ate. In your youth, you were burning calories like a madman or madwoman and so all your attention was focused on places to play and the gear to use when you get there. You never had to focus on your core piece of equipment, which is your body. You can describe in detail the performance of the ingredients filling your sleeping bag—down versus synthetics, say—but have only a vague idea of the performance of the ingredients filling your belly.

But age brings new challenges.

  • One is finding out what you are supposed to consume and how much. The calculation is complicated because (in theory) an older person needs fewer calories but an active person (in theory) needs more calories.
  • And it isn’t just about calories. You need to consider how much protein you should consume. And carbohydrates. And when you should consume them. (People have theories, which is why you see some people shunning all baked goods and others sucking on protein drinks as they walk out of the gym because they are afraid they’ll impede their recovery if they wait till they get home.)
  • All that is further complicated by any medicines you might be taking, because they can affect how you metabolize foods.
  • Finally, there is a lot of chatter out there.  Because food is a complicated subject (see above) that is made more complicated by conspiracy theories and far-out hypothesis and a pretty surprising lack of consensus on what our bodies need. To live. One site will warn you that carbohydrates can kill you. (Literally. That’s a site.)  Another site is more enthusiastic about their place in a senior’s diet: “Carbohydrates should make up 55 to 60 percent of your day’s calories, or at least 130 grams.”

Little wonder that a lot of website articles will start with an authoritative voice and pretty quickly pass the buck: consume about 2,000 calories (in general) but be sure to consult a registered dietician (as if you have one on your payroll).

We’re no different here at Recreati. Because this is terribly complicated, we aren’t going to glibly recommend this diet or that. But we think it might be helpful to point out the better resources as we find them. And maybe, over time, we’ll get opinionated together.

For openers, take a look at Livestrong.com, which is a good gateway site as you start to tune up your food obsession. There’s plenty here, including an article on seniors and protein that level-headedly differentiates between sedentaries and actives: “If you are over 51 and sedentary, you need 1,600 calories a day if female and 2,000 if male. Moderately active women should consume 1,800 calories a day; moderately active men, 2,200 to 2,400 calories. Very active seniors should aim for 2,000 to 2,200 calories a day if female and 2,400 to 2,800 calories a day if male.”

The same piece recommends that women over age 51 get “at least 46 grams of protein a day, and males over 51 need 56 grams of protein a day.” And here’s where it gets confusing. Because, again, your meds can reduce protein absorption so you might need a bit more.

A flat number that is supposed to cover all men regardless of their weight or activity is a bit suspicious, though. Other sites (like this one) suggest a calculation based on weight and activity level. You figure your weight in kilos, then multiple that by 0.8 if you’re sedentary and 1.8 if you are engaged in “consistent and intense weight or endurance training.” So a 170-pound (77-kilo) male would want to consume 61-139 grams of protein.

Note: that calculation doesn’t take age into account. Does age matter? Colorado State University tells us, “Protein needs usually do not change for the elderly, although research studies are not definitive.” So no help there. But 139 grams seems like a big number. Especially relative to the 56 grams cited by Livestrong. Especially, too, since protein can stress your kidneys.

There’s an alternative calculation based on your caloric intake and the assumption that 15-30 percent of calories should be protein. (Some sites say 10-35 percent.) Say you’re an active senior man, so you’re consuming 2,400 calories a day. Four calories equal one gram, so that translates into a pretty big range of protein consumption, 90-180 grams a day. Bump it to 2,800 calories–the upper range needed by a very active senior–and use the 10-35 percent multiplier and the range is 70-245 grams of protein per day.

There you have it, active senior. Reputable sources say you should consume 56 to 245 grams of protein daily.

We’ll be honest here. We don’t know what to make of this. So don’t listen to us. Listen to Fauja Singh or Manohar Aich. Or talk to your dietician.

Painting: The Fruit Girl (c. 1633) by Frans Snyders via Wikimedia Commons.