Best Protein Powders For Seniors

Protein powder is an amazing tool to help seniors meet their protein needs. Whether you’re trying to gain muscle, or just trying to balance out your diet, there’s a protein powder out there to help you meet your needs.

In this article, we’ll give our picks for the best protein powders for seniors, taking into account quality, price, and much more. Let’s get right into it!

Table of Contents

1. Best Overall
2. Best Value
3. Best Pre-Made
4. Best Meal Replacement
5. Best Unflavored
6. Best For Weight Gain
7. Things To Consider When Buying Protein Powder For Seniors
   1. Taste
   2. Vitamins
   3. Calories
   4. Amino Acids
8. Frequently Asked Questions
   1. Should Seniors Use Protein Powder?
   2. How Much Protein Do Seniors Need?
   3. Can Seniors Gain Muscle With Protein Powder?
   4. Is Weight Training Good For Seniors?
9. Conclusion

Best Overall

Nutrition Per Scoop (46g)

160 Calories

30g Protein

2g Total Sugars

4g Carbohydrates

Muscle Tech’s Nitro-Tech Whey Protein Isolate is, in our opinion, the very best protein powder for seniors. This is a whey isolate, as opposed to a concentrate, which means that the whey is processed more than usual. This extra processing reduces the amount of carbs and fat, giving it a higher percentage of protein. This makes it much easier to digest which is a big deal for seniors.

Nitro-Tech Whey Protein Isolate also tastes great, and mixes well in any liquid.

Seniors really can’t go wrong with this product.

Best Value

Nutrition Per Scoop (38g)

140 calories

25g protein

0g added sugar

8g total carbohydrates

Muscle Milk is a pioneer of mainstream protein products. Whether you’re into fitness or not, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard of Muscle Milk. They’ve obviously been doing something right to gain such widespread recognition. Muscle Milk has had a long time to perfect its product, and you can really tell when you try out their 100% whey protein powder.

It tastes great, and it works great for helping you meet your protein needs, and thus maintain and build muscle as you age.

One of the main perks of Muscle Milk’s 100% whey protein powder is the great price! Coming in at just $0.59 per ounce, this powder is half the price of higher-end options. This amazing affordability combined with its proven effectiveness makes Muscle Milk’s 100% whey protein powder our number one choice for seniors on a budget.

Best Pre-Made

Nutrition Per Serving (11 FL OZ)
130 Calories
20g Protein
3g Total sugars
11g Total carbohydrates

There are lots of us (young or old) that really enjoy the convenience of pre-made protein drinks. These are drinks that you can just grab and drink on the go. There’s no need to mix, blend or shake.

If you’re one of those people, we highly recommend that you try Orgain Grass Fed Clean Protein Shake. These pre-made protein drinks taste amazing. Unlike a lot of pre-made protein drinks, Orgain Clean Protein Shake doesn’t have an overbearing flavor. Users love the soft drinkability and the effectiveness of these drinks.

Users also report less bloating issues with these drinks opposed to most pre-made protein drinks.

Best For Meal Replacement

Nutrition Per Serving (11.5 FL OZ)

160 Calories

30g Protein

1g Total sugars

5g Total carbohydrates

Premier Protein is one of the most trusted and beloved brands in meal-replacement, and for good reason. The drinks taste great! There’s a large selection of flavors to choose from. They’re competitively priced. And they get the job done!

Premier Protein shakes have a whopping 30g of protein per bottle. This ensures that you’ll stay full for longer, and that your muscles will have the proper nutrients to recover from any strains you’re putting them under throughout the day.

Premier Protein shakes also come packed full of vitamins and minerals including  Vitamins C, D and E + Zinc and Magnesium.

If you’re looking for the best meal replacement shake on the market, look no further than Premier Protein.

Best Unflavored

Nutrition Per Scoop (30g)

120 calories

25g protein

2g total sugar

3g total Carbohydrates

Naked Whey is an amazing product for anybody looking to get sufficient protein in their diets without all of the added ingredients and flavors of typical powders.

This powder has just one ingredient: whey. That’s it. No flavors. No preservatives. Nothing. Just whey. This product is as simple and natural as it gets.

Also, the whey comes strictly from grass-fed cows raised on US farms.

The downsides of Naked Whey are, of course, that it doesn’t taste very good by itself. Unless you’re made of steel, you’ll probably want to mix this stuff with something tasty.

Also, since it’s so unprocessed, Naked Whey doesn’t mix quite as easily as other powders on the market. These are all, however, necessary evils for such a natural product.

If you’re looking for something to throw in a bottle with some water, shake for a few seconds and be on your way, this isn’t the powder for you. If, on the other hand, you’re looking for the purest, healthiest protein supplement on the market, and you don’t mind taking the time to thoroughly mix in your own sweeteners, you can do no better than Naked Whey.

Best For Weight Gain

Nutrition per serving (336g)

1250 Calories

50 grams protein

20 grams total sugars (9g added)

252 grams total carbohydrates

Just one serving of Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass has a whopping 1250 calories! The serious gainer powder isn’t just packed with calories, either. It also has an impressive 50g of protein per serving.

It has to be noted, however, that protein powders designed to help users gain weight are packed with maltodextrin, a blend of starches like rice and potatoes. This makes it a completely different product from the other protein powders on our list. With that being said, I wouldn’t recommend this product to most seniors. Instead, I would suggest trying one of the more standard protein powders above. while also maintaining a balanced, high-calorie diet.

On the other hand, however, if you really struggle to gain weight and muscle through regular diet and supplements, Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass can be super helpful in pushing you over the edge.

It’s also important to remember that, with mass gainers like this, you don’t have to follow the serving size. If 1250 calories is too much for you, there’s nothing wrong with cutting the serving size in half, or even in thirds.

Things to Consider When Buying Protein Powder For Seniors

Taste

One of the most important things to consider when buying protein powder for diabetics, is the taste of the protein powder. You’ll find that almost every protein powder, especially ones that are flavored, taste different. It’s important to find one with a taste that you like or can at least easily tolerate.

Taste is obviously subjective, so it’s hard to really know if you’ll like something before you buy it. Obviously, if the majority of reviews are saying that the taste is bad, you might want to avoid it. It’s pretty common, however, to see half of the reviewers saying that a product tastes great, and the other half saying that it’s nasty.

The only way to know for sure is to try the powder yourself.

If you’re taste buds are hard to please, then I recommend buying smaller sized packages. In that case, it’s easier to switch to a different flavor if you don’t like the first one.

Another good option for picky eaters is to buy the unflavored stuff. With unflavored protein powders you can play around with the taste yourself by adding different ingredients.

Vitamins

Another thing to you might want to consider when buying protein powder for seniors is the vitamin content of the powder. We all know it’s important to have a healthy balanced diet, full of enough macronutrients as well as micronutrients like vitamins. This can, however, be a bit harder to achieve for diabetics.

Luckily, protein powder can be great not just for helping you reach your protein needs, but also your vitamin needs. If you struggle to get enough vitamins through your diet, look for protein powders with added vitamins to help you balance things out. Isopure Whey Isolate Protein Powder with Vitamin C & Zinc is a great option.

Calories

When choosing protein a powder for seniors, you’ll want to consider how many calories the powder has per serving. This is especially true if you’re trying to lose weight.

Most protein powders have between 100 and 130 calories per serving with an average serving being around 30g. Any more than that and you’re starting to get pretty high-calorie and might want to choose a different powder.

Amino Acids

One of the most important things to consider when buying protein powder for seniors, is the amino acid profile.

The most important amino acids you’ll want to be getting from your protein powder are branched-chain amino acids or BCAAs You’ve probably heard the term mentioned a lot on fitness supplements. This is because amino acids in general are the building blocks for protein. And branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs are specifically important since they’re metabolized in muscle, and thought to have the most fundamental impact on muscle-growth.

The three BCAAs are leucine, valine, and isoleucine. So be on the lookout for those when scanning the labels of potential protein powders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should Seniors Use Protein Powders

Protein powder can be very helpful for seniors looking to maintain or even gain muscle. As we get older, it’s common for our appetites to decrease, making it harder to get all the necessary nutrients through regular diet. Protein powders are an easy solution to this problem.

With that being said, protein powders aren’t for everyone. If you have a sensitive stomach, or digestive issues, some protein powders might cause you uncomfortable bloating. It’s important to monitor how your body responds to new supplements, and alter the course accordingly.

How Much Protein Do Seniors Need

While there isn’t a consensus on the exact amount of protein seniors need per day, it’s commonly accepted that older adults need at least as much protein as younger adults. And, as research continues, it’s becoming more and more apparent that seniors may actually need more protein than younger adults.

Muscle mass naturally decreases as we age. Consuming a healthy amount of protein, however, may help to combat this loss of muscle.

The exact amount of protein seniors need per day will vary from person to person according to size and activity level. A good number to aim for, however, is around 0.7 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. You can adjust this figure up or down based on your activity level and your body’s response to a high protein diet.

Can Seniors Gain Muscle With Protein Powder?

Yes, it’s absolutely possible to gain muscle as a senior. It might not be quite as easy in old age as it is for younger people, but it’s very doable. I’ll list a few of the crucial aspects of building muscle as a senior.

• Consistent training: The first step to gaining muscle as an older person, is working-out consistently. This can be lifting weights, doing body-weight exercises, or any other type of resistance-training. You should aim for a workout that’s challenging, but not crazy stressful. The best workouts for seniors use multiple muscle-groups at once. This reduces the likelihood of injury since you won’t be isolating any one muscle or joint.
• Sufficient nutrients: The next core aspect of gaining muscle is your diet. It’s important to fuel your muscle growth by getting enough carbs, healthy fats, and protein. A lot of older adults don’t get enough nutrients due to factors including decreased appetite, side effects of medication, and unwillingness to cook. It’s impossible to build muscle, though, if you’re not properly fueling your body. That’s why it’s so important to maintain a balanced diet while you’re working out. Protein powders and pre-made protein shakes are great options to help you meet your daily requirements.
• Quality Sleep: Getting enough sleep at night is hugely important for building muscle. Sadly, many seniors don’t get enough high-quality sleep. This is due to many different factors including increased anxiety, insomnia, medication side-effects, and the popular misconception that older people need less sleep than the young. Luckily, starting an exercise program does wonders for increasing healthy sleep. After a day of working out, be sure to reward your tired body with the rest it deserves.

Is Weight Training Good For Seniors?

Yes, weight training has amazing effects for seniors. It’s not just about gaining strength. Weight training has countless positive effects on your overall health. I’ll list a few of the ways weight training can be beneficial to older adults.

Maintains and builds bone density: Weight training helps you to maintain and improve the strength of your bones, helping to prevent breaks and fractures.
Improves sleep: Lifting weights, and exercise in general, has been shown to improve sleep quality. So if you’re a person who has trouble getting a good night’s sleep, working out could be the answer to your difficulties.
Improves joint health: Weight training not only strengthens your muscles, it also strengthens your joints! This is great news for seniors suffering from joint pain or arthritis.
Improves balance: Getting adequate exercise can do great things for your balance. Maintaining good balance as we age is important since serious injuries due to falling are very common amongst seniors.
Builds and strengthens muscles: Obviously, one of the main advantages of any type of weight training is gaining strength. As we get into old age, we naturally start to lose strength and endurance. Training and maintaining proper diet are the perfect ways to combat that decline and stay strong and healthy as we age.

Conclusion

No matter your age or goals, there’s a great protein powder out there for you. If you’re looking for the best protein powder for seniors, our number one choice is Muscle Tech’s Nitro Tech Whey protein powder. If you’re a senior on a budget, you can do no better than Muscle Milk 100% Whey Protein Powder.

I hope this article has answered any and all questions you might have about the best protein powders for seniors. If not, drop a comment below and I’ll be happy to answer!