I’m 65, and I was wondering whether we older people need more protein or less. Apparently more–anywhere between 1 and 1.5 g per kg of body weight (depending on which study you look at). The following is a review of various studies:
Older people need more protein?
atomicspacebunny
(Bunny)
#2
- “… However, in older subjects, protein gain was greater with whey protein (rapidly-digested protein), and lower with casein (slowly-digested protein). This suggests that a “fast” protein might be more beneficial to limit protein losses in older people, but longer-term studies are required to confirm that this approach reduces body protein losses during aging [24,25]. …” …More
- Aging Population: “… Protein enables your body to grow and repair muscle tissue, and it’s particularly important as you get older because it can help you gain and retain lean muscle mass, which naturally decreases with age. According to a research review published in 2015 in the “Journal of Clinical Medical Research,” eating 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is not enough to guard against sarcopenia, the term for age-related loss of lean muscle mass. Instead, researchers recommended eating 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, noting that aging people who did eat that much lost significantly less muscle mass. …” …More
- “… Some studies showed the effectiveness of these nutritional factors for sarcopenia. However, we should consider the appropriate concomitant energy intake, the combination of these factors and the combination with physical activities, to develop a better management for sarcopenia. …”
…More
What's the difference between loose skin from weight loss and just plain ole loose skin from being 'older'?
SlowBurnMary
#3
Apparently from age 65 on higher protein is very beneficial. Then again, the researchers on sarcopenia and other things aren’t looking at LCHF/keto subjects! Who can say???
Phinney & Volek in their book from over 10 years ago talk about how 85-90% of muscle mass development is totally dietary based (and other more recent voices say it’s 99% dietary!) And when keto is combined with fasting it really boosts HGH and DNA repair - with less food! 
In addition - fasting is proven to be great for longevity and HGH. And we all know that when you’re fasting you eat less…!
If you like research-oriented books you might really enjoy the Romanian keto researcher Cristi Vlad’s Periodic Fasting: Repair your DNA, Grow Younger, and Learn to Appreciate Your Food. He reports on a lot of overviews on low carb & fasting, and explore the lifestyles of long-lived people from history who fasted (eating low-to-moderate protein when not fasting) as a part of their way of life - like Upton Sinclair and Luigi Cornaro, looking at their writings and surrounding cultures. I found it a fascinating read (though the print is small).
PaulL
(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing)
#4
Benjamin Bikman recommends 1.0 - 2.0 g/kg, especially as we age.
Jason_v
#6
its not going to be per pound of absolute body mass IF you’re way overweight, but in reality its splitting hairs.
1-2 grams per whatever is an enormous range, its literally one number or DOUBLE that number, whatever it is.
the point is, eat good nutritiously dense protein sources, and lots of it. there is no downside except in very specific, certain disease cases (advanced kidney disease, possible certain cancers etc)
PaulL
(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing)
#7
I’ll have to watch that video again! Fortunately, I really enjoy Prof. Bikman’s lectures. Stay tuned for late-breaking bulletins. 
Update: 1-2 g/kg of “body weight”. See the following, around 33:30:
LeCheffre
(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman )
#8
On the topic of sarcopenia, there’s pretty much no one better than Stuart Phillips:
collaroygal
(KCKO, KCFO)
#9
Dr. Fung originally would say per lb of weight, but had gone to per lb LBM. so he says .8 g per lb. LBM now. As a lot of his clientele is over 60 I think it would be an ok guideline for us that live in that territory. Others say up to 2 grams per body weight. I don’t think I could even eat that much protein every day and I like protein.