Nutritional Needs After 30

Proper nutrition is essential to performing well in the gym and getting the results you want. As we age, our nutrition requirements evolve due to the way our bodies change across the lifespan. If you’re not mindful of your changing macronutrient and micronutrient requirements, you may develop certain deficiencies which can impair your performance, recovery, and overall well-being.

Today, we discuss changing nutritional needs after 30 and how you can address them with a combination of dietary modifications and the right supplements.

Protein                                                               

1up coMuscle loss (sarcopenia) is a very real threat as we age. In fact, estimates indicate the average aging adult loses between 3-8% of their muscle mass each decade after 30.[1]

To further complicate matters is the fact that our bodies become less efficient at utilizing dietary protein as we age, which means our protein needs increases as we age to account for this age-related anabolic resistance.[2]

The most effective way to combat is to consume a high-protein diet and perform resistance training workouts 3-4x per week. The best protein sources for muscle are ones that are “complete”, meaning they contain all of the essential amino acids (EAAs) the body needs to stimulate and sustain protein synthesis.

Some of our favorite protein sources are:

• Lean red meat
• Poultry
• Wild game (venison, elk, bison, etc.)
• Fish (Wild Salmon, Sardines, Mahi Mahi, etc.)
• Shellfish (shrimp, oysters, mussels, etc.)
• Eggs
• Greek Yogurt
• Cottage Cheese

Protein powder also offers a great option for helping to meet your increased protein needs. It’s especially useful for individuals who don’t have a big appetite or have limited time to prep, cook, eat and clean.

We offer a variety of best-tasting protein powders, including whey protein, egg white protein, clear protein, and vegan protein, that mix easily, taste delicious, and are budget friendly!

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of essential fats that play an important role in the body as structural components of cell membranes. DHA, in particular, is critical for eye and brain health. Unfortunately, most individuals do not meet the recommended intakes of omega-3s due to not consuming enough fatty fish. This leads to an imbalance in fatty acid ratios, with omega-6s vastly outnumbering omega-3s, which can contribute to systemic inflammation.

Why is this a big deal?

Chronic inflammation has been linked to numerous chronic diseases including diabetes, metabolic syndrome, depression, and cardiovascular disease.[3,4]

Omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce the production of inflammatory substances, such as inflammatory cytokines and eicosanoids.[5] This helps you to not only feel better physically, but also mentally as well as omega-3 supplementation has been found to support a healthy mood.[6]

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends consuming at least two portions of fatty fish per week to ensure you’re getting enough omega-3 fatty acids.[7]

Other health agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), recommend a minimum of 250–500mg combined EPA and DHA per day for healthy adults.

If you don’t regularly consume fish, or just don’t find the taste of fish appealing, then supplementing with omega-3s is critical. Note: Omega-3s can be found in plant foods, such as chia seeds, walnuts, and flax seeds as ALA; however, the conversion of ALA to EPA & DHA is very inefficient (between 1-10%!).[8]

1UP Nutrition has created a premium-quality Omega-3 supplement containing High Strength Omega Rich Fish Oil Concentrate that delivers 720mg EPA and 480 mg DHA per serving to support cognitive and cardiovascular health as well as joint function.

Collagen

Collagen is the primary structural protein in the body, and it plays an important role in the health of our hair, skin and nails. Collagen can also be found in the body’s other major connective tissues, including:

• Muscles
• Bones
• Ligaments
• Tendons
• Blood vessels
• Organs
• Intestinal lining

In other words, collagen is the literal glue that holds you together.

Our bodies naturally produce collagen from amino acids, including  glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. However, this process doesn’t work as well after age 30, which is one of the reasons we start to recover slower (e.g. wound healing), experience brittle nails, show visible signs of aging (wrinkles), and feel more joint fatigue.

Consuming collagen either from foods (such as gelatin or bone broth) or dietary supplements is an effective way to supply the body with the “raw materials” it needs to aid collagen production after age 30.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t consume foods naturally rich in gelatin on a regular basis, which means that collagen supplementation should be given serious consideration.

The benefits of hydrolyzed collagen have been shown time and time again in research, Specifically, collagen supplementation has been shown to[9-16]:

• Enhance skin elasticity
• Strengthen tendons and ligaments
• Decrease activity-related joint pain
• Support the recovery of lost cartilage
• Increase lean body mass
• Improve joint health or function
• Support gut health

1UP Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides PLUS supplies 15 grams of high-quality collagen from a unique blend of grass-fed bovine collagen and sustainable, wild-caught marine collagen. Every serving also contains a hand-picked blend of antioxidants, B-vitamins and cell hydration agents to make our collagen peptides superior to any other product on the market.

1UP Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptides can be mixed into 8 ounces of your favorite beverage or added to all sorts of smoothies, shakes, coffee or other foods (protein pancakes, protein muffins, dressings, etc.) to create a nutritious and delicious way to boost your collagen intake and nourish your hair, skin, nails and joints.

For added support and more vibrant, youthful-looking skin, consider stacking your daily serving of collagen with our advanced skin care formula 1UP Skin Health Plus.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that plays a key role in ATP (energy) production, brain function, and red blood cell formation. However, research indicates that between 10-30% of adults over 50 have difficulty absorbing vitamin B12 from foods.[17]

Over time, this will lead to a B12 deficiency, which causes further health consequences.

Foods high in B12 include animal-based proteins, such eggs, fish, meat, and dairy. However, since food-bound B12 is the form of B12 that is difficult to absorb as we age, supplementing with vitamin B12 makes sense.

B12 supplements are an affordable and effective option for supporting the body’s requirements for this essential micronutrient. Our men’s and women’s multivitamins, Multi-Go Men & Multi-Go Women, supply 6mcg of vitamin B12 in each serving (along with a full complement of other essential vitamins and minerals).

Hormone Support/Testosterone Booster

As is the case with collagen production, natural hormone production, including estrogen and testosterone, naturally starts to wane after age 30. Declining levels of these important sex hormones not only affect your libido and your performance during intimacy, it can also negatively affect mood, cognitive function, joint integrity, and cardiovascular health.[Roman-Blas JA, Castaneda S, Largo R, Herrero-Beaumont G. Osteoarthritis associated with estrogen deficiency. Arthritis Res Ther. 2009;11(5):241. doi: 10.1186/ar2791. Epub 2009 Sep 21. PMID: 19804619; PMCID: PMC2787275. M Webb C, Collins P. Role of Testosterone in the Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease. Eur Cardiol. 2017 Dec;12(2):83-87. doi: 10.15420/ecr.2017:21:1. PMID: 30416559; PMCID: PMC6223354. Khera M. Patients with testosterone deficit syndrome and depression. Arch Esp Urol. 2013 Sep;66(7):729-36. PMID: 24047633.]

While you may not be able to permanently stave off the natural decline of these important hormones, you can slow the decline by maintaining a healthy body composition, eating a nutritious diet, exercising regularly (cardio and resistance training), managing stress, and getting quality sleep each night.

For additional support, we suggest checking out our men’s and women’s hormone support formulas, ProTest Max and Hormone Support Plus, We formulated these products using the best natural ingredients to support healthy hormone levels and promote vitality, libido, and well-being.

References

1. English KL, Paddon-Jones D. Protecting muscle mass and functions in older adults during bed rest. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 Jan;13(1):34-9. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0b013e328333aa66. PMID: 19898232; PMCID: PMC3276215.
2. Baum JI, Kim IY, Wolfe RR. Protein Consumption and the Elderly: What is the Optimal Level of Intake? Nutrients. 2016 Jun 8;8(6):359. doi: 10.3390/nu8060359. PMID: 27338461; PMCID: PMC4924200
3. Raison CL, Miller AH. Is depression an inflammatory disorder? Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2011 Dec;13(6):467-75. doi: 10.1007/s11920-011-0232-0. PMID: 21927805; PMCID: PMC3285451.
4. Henein MY, Vancheri S, Longo G, Vancheri F. The Role of Inflammation in Cardiovascular Disease. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Oct 26;23(21):12906. doi: 10.3390/ijms232112906. PMID: 36361701; PMCID: PMC9658900.
5. Calder, P. C. (2006). n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, inflammation, and inflammatory diseases. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 83(6 Suppl), 1505S-1519S.https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/83.6.1505S
6. Grosso et al. (2014). Omega-3 fatty acids and depression: A meta-analysis. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 54(8), 1058-1069.
7. "Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids." www.heart.org, American Heart Association
8. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/other-nutrients/essential-fatty-acids
9. Proksch E., Segger D., Degwert J., Schunck M., Zague V., Oesser S. Oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides has beneficial effects on human skin physiology: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Skin. Pharmacol. Physiol. 2014;27:47–55. doi: 10.1159/000351376.
10. Praet S.F.E., Purdam C.R., Welvaert M., Vlahovich N., Lovell G., Burke L.M., Gaida J.E., Manzanero S., Hughes D., Waddington G. Oral supplementation of specific collagen peptides combined with calf-strengthening exercises enhances function and reduces pain in Achilles tendinopathy patients. Nutrients. 2019;11:76. doi: 10.3390/nu11010076
11. Dressler P., Gehring D., Zdzieblik D., Oesser S., Gollhofer A., König D. Improvement of functional ankle properties following supplementation with specific collagen peptides in athletes with chronic ankle instability. J. Sports Sci. Med. 2018;17:198–304. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2018.09.037.
12. Zdzieblik D., Oesser S., Gollhofer A., Koenig D. Corrigendum: Improvement of activity-related knee joint discomfort following supplementation of specific collagen peptides. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 2017;42:1237. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2017-0693.
13. McAlindon T.E., Nuite M., Krishnan N., Ruthazer R., Price L.L., Burstein D., Griffith J., Flechsenhar K. Change in knee osteoarthritis cartilage detected by delayed gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging following treatment with collagen hydrolysate: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Osteoarthr. Cartil. 2011;19:399–405. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2011.01.001.
14. Zdzieblik D., Oesser S., Baumstark M.W., Gollhofer A., König D. Collagen peptide supplementation in combination with resistance training improves body composition and increases muscle strength in elderly sarcopenic men: a randomised controlled trial. Br. J. Nutr. 2015;114:1237–1245. doi: 10.1017/S0007114515002810.
15. Jendricke P., Centner C., Zdzieblik D., Gollhofer A., König D. Specific collagen peptides in combination with resistance training improve body composition and regional muscle strength in premenopausal women: A randomized controlled trial. Nutrients. 2019;11:892. doi: 10.3390/nu11040892
16. Zuckley L, Angelopoulou K, Carpenter MR, et al. Collagen hydrolysate improves joint function in adults with mild symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004;36(Suppl):S153-S4
17. Wong CW. Vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly: is it worth screening? Hong Kong Med J. 2015 Apr;21(2):155-64. doi: 10.12809/hkmj144383. Epub 2015 Mar 10. PMID: 25756278.