Health, Fitness & Performance
Protein Planning And Bone-Loading After 40: A Conservative Starting Framework
Two common pieces of advice after 40 are "do strengthening activity" and "make protein deliberate."
Two common pieces of advice after 40 are "do strengthening activity" and "make protein deliberate."
Both can be useful. Both also need context.
This article is general education, not a personalised plan. Use a GP, registered dietitian, physiotherapist or other qualified professional for your own numbers and exercise modifications.
Protein Planning
A conservative way to start is:
- Choose a starter daily number.
- Divide it across meals.
- Replace that number with professional advice if you have it.
The 40+ Strength & Recovery Planner ships with 1.2 g/kg as an editable starter because it is more conservative for a broad unsupervised audience than higher active-adult targets. It is not a prescription.
Do not use generic online protein targets if you have kidney disease, pregnancy/postpartum considerations, another medical condition, or eating-disorder history. Ask a GP or registered dietitian.
Bone-Loading
NHS guidance recommends adults do strengthening activities on at least 2 days a week. Bone-health guidance commonly discusses weight-bearing, strengthening and impact activity, but what is appropriate depends heavily on individual health status.
If you have low bone density, osteopenia, osteoporosis, a spinal condition, fall risk, joint condition or pain, do not add impact or heavy loading from an article. Get advice from a physiotherapist or appropriate specialist.
Useful Official/Public Sources
- NHS adult activity guidance: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/
- Royal Osteoporosis Society exercise for bones: https://theros.org.uk/information-and-support/bone-health/exercise-for-bones/
- Royal Osteoporosis Society osteoporosis exercise guidance: https://theros.org.uk/information-and-support/osteoporosis/living-with-osteoporosis/exercise-and-physical-activity-for-osteoporosis/
- BDA sarcopenia background: https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/addressing-sarcopenia.html
- BDA muscle health, nutrition and ageing: https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/muscle-health-nutrition-and-ageing.html
Free Checker
Use the free checker to flag whether your current week has obvious planning gaps. It does not diagnose anything and does not replace professional advice.