Limited compensation at the following meal for protein and energy intake at a lunch meal in healthy free-living older adults.

Abstract

Various interventions have previously been found to increase protein intakes in older adults, but in free-living individuals, compensation for increased intakes at one meal may easily negate these effects resulting in limited long term benefit. This study investigated the impact of adding sauce to an older person's lunch meal on intakes at that meal, at the following meal and overall (lunch + evening meal). Using a repeated measures design, 52 participants consumed both a lunch meal with sauce and the same lunch meal without sauce on two separate occasions, and intake at this meal and at the following meal were measured. In all participants analysed together, the addition of sauce resulted in increased protein intakes at the lunch meal. Individual differences were also found, where for some individuals (n = 26), the addition of sauce resulted in significantly higher protein and energy intakes at the lunch meal (12.3 g protein, 381 kJ) and overall (11 g protein, 420 kJ), compared to the no-sauce condition, while for some individuals (n = 19), the sauce manipulation resulted in lower protein and energy intakes (lunch: 7 g protein, 297 kJ; overall: 7 g protein, 350 kJ). Compensation for earlier intakes was low (0-17%) for both groups. These findings demonstrate the possible value of adding sauce to an older person's meal for increasing intakes, and demonstrate a need for attention to individual differences. This study also confirms previous findings of limited compensation in older adults, but extends earlier studies to demonstrate limited compensation for the protein consumed in a complete meal in healthy older adults.