Eat to perform.
Recover to improve.
Nutrition for masters athletes is not the same as nutrition for 25-year-olds. This guide covers what your body actually needs — by age, by event, and by goal.
masters nutrition
Why masters nutrition is different
After 35, your body's nutritional needs shift in several important ways. Muscle protein synthesis slows, recovery takes longer, and micronutrient absorption can decline. Getting nutrition right doesn't just support performance — it determines whether you can train consistently without breaking down.
Research note: Studies consistently show that masters athletes require higher relative protein intake than younger athletes to achieve the same rate of muscle protein synthesis. A 2016 review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found protein needs increase meaningfully from age 40 onwards.
The three priorities
- Adequate protein to maintain and build muscle
- Anti-inflammatory foods to support recovery
- Micronutrients that decline with age (vitamin D, B12, magnesium)
What changes with age
- Slower muscle protein synthesis
- Reduced ability to absorb certain vitamins
- Higher inflammation baseline
- Greater hydration sensitivity
The Master Athlete app builds a personalised nutrition plan around your age, event, training load, and recovery data — so you're never guessing what your body needs.
non-negotiable
Why protein matters more as you age
Muscle mass naturally declines from your mid-30s in a process called sarcopenia. For masters athletes, adequate protein intake is the single most important nutritional factor for maintaining and building the muscle you need to compete and stay injury-free.
Research note: The concept of "anabolic resistance" — where older muscles respond less efficiently to protein — is well established. Research suggests spreading protein evenly across meals (rather than back-loading at dinner) produces better muscle protein synthesis in older adults. (Paddon-Jones & Rasmussen, Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition, 2009)
Best food sources
- Eggs — complete amino acid profile
- Lean meat: chicken, turkey, lean beef
- Fish: salmon, tuna, cod, sardines
- Greek yoghurt and cottage cheese
- Legumes: lentils, chickpeas, edamame
- Tofu and tempeh
Key principles
- Spread intake across all meals — not just post-training
- Prioritise leucine-rich sources for muscle synthesis
- Post-training window matters more for masters athletes
- Plant-based athletes may need slightly higher total intake
How the app helps
Coach Chat tracks your training load and adjusts your daily protein targets accordingly — heavier training days trigger higher targets. It also reminds you when your post-session window is open.
- Dynamic protein targets based on training load
- Post-session nutrition prompts
- Event-specific adjustments (sprint vs endurance vs throws)
fuel your training
Carbs are not the enemy
Carbohydrate needs vary significantly by event and training phase. Endurance athletes need considerably more than sprinters or field event athletes. The key is matching carbohydrate intake to training demand — not following a blanket high or low carb approach.
Best food sources
- Oats, brown rice, quinoa
- Sweet potato and regular potato
- Wholegrain bread and pasta
- Fruit — especially bananas, berries
- Legumes — dual carb and protein
By event type
- Sprints & jumps: moderate, timed around sessions
- Middle distance: moderate-high on training days
- Endurance: high on long run days, moderate otherwise
- Throws: moderate — power over endurance
Research note: Carbohydrate periodisation — varying intake based on training load — has shown performance benefits in masters endurance athletes. Low-carb training sessions can enhance fat oxidation capacity, while high-carb fuelling supports high-intensity work. (Burke et al., Sports Medicine, 2011)
Avoid training hard in a carbohydrate-depleted state until you have a solid base. For masters athletes, the recovery cost of under-fuelled sessions is significantly higher than for younger athletes.
and essential
Why healthy fats matter more as you age
Masters athletes carry a higher baseline level of inflammation than younger athletes. Omega-3 fatty acids are among the most evidence-backed nutritional tools for reducing inflammation, supporting joint health, and aiding muscle recovery. They also play a role in heart health and cognitive function — both increasingly relevant as you age.
Research note: Omega-3 supplementation has been shown to reduce markers of muscle damage and inflammation following exercise in older adults. A 2011 study in Clinical Science found omega-3s improved anabolic signalling in older muscles. (Smith et al., Clinical Science, 2011)
Best food sources
- Oily fish: salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring
- Walnuts and flaxseeds
- Avocado
- Olive oil — extra virgin
- Chia seeds
What to limit
- Processed vegetable oils (sunflower, corn)
- Trans fats in processed foods
- Excess saturated fat from red meat
- Ultra-processed foods high in omega-6
by age group
Your nutritional needs shift with each decade
While the fundamentals remain constant, the emphasis changes as you move through the age groups. What works at 40 needs adjusting at 55, and again at 70.
35 — 49
- Establish strong protein habits now
- Anti-inflammatory diet becoming important
- Recovery nutrition starting to matter more
- Hydration needs increasing
50 — 64
- Higher protein requirements
- Vitamin D and calcium increasingly important
- Gut health and absorption may decline
- Carbohydrate sensitivity can increase
- Creatine becomes highly relevant
65+
- Protein is critical — sarcopenia risk higher
- B12 absorption often declines — supplementation likely needed
- Bone density nutrition: calcium, vitamin D, K2
- Smaller, more frequent meals often better tolerated
- Omega-3 and anti-inflammatory diet essential
Research note: A large body of evidence supports the concept of "anabolic resistance" increasing with age — older muscles need more protein stimulus to achieve the same synthetic response as younger muscles. This effect becomes more pronounced after 60. (Breen & Phillips, Ageing Research Reviews, 2011)
event type
Different events, different demands
A masters sprinter and a masters marathon runner have fundamentally different nutritional needs. The app tailors everything to your specific event — this section gives you the principles behind why.
Sprints & hurdles
Power and speed. Protein and creatine are the priority. Carbs are timed around sessions rather than eaten in large quantities.
- High protein — muscle maintenance and power
- Moderate carbs — timed around training
- Creatine — most evidence-backed supplement for sprinters
- Beta-alanine — buffers lactic acid in 200–400m
Middle distance
The crossover discipline. Needs both aerobic endurance nutrition and the ability to produce speed. Carbs and protein both critical.
- Higher carbs than sprinters, well timed
- Strong protein base for recovery
- Iron levels — important especially for women
- Beetroot/nitrates — performance evidence for 800m–1500m
Endurance & road
The highest carbohydrate demand of any athletics discipline. Recovery nutrition is as important as pre-race fuelling.
- High carbohydrate — especially on long run days
- Carbohydrate periodisation across the week
- Electrolytes — sodium, potassium, magnesium
- Iron and B12 — regular monitoring recommended
Throws & jumps
Power, explosive strength, and joint durability. Protein and anti-inflammatory foods are the core focus.
- High protein — power development and maintenance
- Moderate carbs — energy without excess
- Collagen and vitamin C — joint and tendon support
- Creatine — highly relevant for throwing events
The app plans this for you
When you set your event in the app, your nutrition framework adjusts automatically. Coach Chat can answer specific questions about pre-competition fuelling, in-session nutrition, and recovery protocols for your exact discipline.
- Event-specific macronutrient targets
- Pre-competition meal timing and composition
- In-session fuelling guidance for endurance events
- Recovery nutrition windows and prompts
where gains happen
Recovery is training
For masters athletes, what you eat after training matters as much as what you eat before. The recovery window — the period immediately after a session — is when your body repairs muscle, replenishes glycogen, and reduces inflammation. Miss it consistently and your progress stalls.
Research note: The post-exercise "anabolic window" is particularly important for older athletes. Research suggests the response to post-exercise protein is blunted in masters athletes compared to younger counterparts, making the timing and quality of recovery nutrition more critical, not less. (Moore et al., American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2015)
Best recovery foods
- Eggs on wholegrain toast
- Salmon with rice and vegetables
- Greek yoghurt with fruit and oats
- Chicken with sweet potato
- Tuna pasta with olive oil
- Smoothie: milk, banana, protein, berries
Anti-inflammatory recovery foods
- Tart cherry juice — reduces muscle soreness
- Blueberries and mixed berries
- Turmeric — curcumin reduces inflammation
- Ginger
- Dark leafy greens
- Oily fish — omega-3 anti-inflammatory
Research note: Tart cherry juice has the strongest evidence base of any food for reducing exercise-induced muscle damage and soreness in athletes. Multiple randomised trials show significant reductions in markers of inflammation and perceived soreness. (Howatson et al., Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 2010)
better sleep
Sleep is your most powerful recovery tool
Growth hormone — critical for muscle repair and recovery — is released primarily during deep sleep. For masters athletes, sleep quality often declines with age, making nutritional support for sleep increasingly important. What you eat in the hours before bed directly affects how well you recover overnight.
Sleep-supporting foods
- Tart cherry juice — natural melatonin source
- Kiwi fruit — shown to improve sleep quality
- Milk and dairy — tryptophan and calcium
- Turkey and chicken — tryptophan
- Oats — slow-release carbs stabilise blood sugar overnight
- Almonds — magnesium source
What to avoid before bed
- Caffeine within 6 hours of sleep
- Alcohol — disrupts sleep architecture
- Large high-fat meals within 2 hours
- High sugar foods — blood sugar spikes disrupt sleep
- Excessive fluids — reduces sleep continuity
Research note: A study in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming two kiwi fruits one hour before bed improved sleep onset, duration, and quality in adults. Tart cherry juice has similarly shown significant effects on melatonin levels and sleep efficiency. (Lin et al., 2011)
Casein protein at night
Unlike whey protein which is rapidly absorbed, casein protein (found in cottage cheese, Greek yoghurt, and milk) is digested slowly overnight — providing a sustained amino acid release that supports overnight muscle repair. A small high-protein snack before bed is increasingly recommended for masters athletes training hard.
Sleep and recovery in the app
Coach Chat integrates sleep quality data into your readiness score. Poor sleep triggers automatic adjustments to the next day's training load — because training hard on poor sleep is counterproductive for masters athletes.
- Sleep quality tracking feeds into daily readiness
- Nutrition prompts adjusted based on sleep data
- Recovery protocols triggered by poor sleep patterns
what the evidence supports
Supplements are not a shortcut
No supplement replaces good food, consistent training, and adequate sleep. But for masters athletes, several supplements have strong evidence behind them and can meaningfully support performance and recovery. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any supplement programme.
The app tracks your supplementation alongside your training and recovery data — helping you identify what's working and flag any potential gaps based on your event, age, and training load.
often underestimated
Masters athletes and hydration sensitivity
The sensation of thirst decreases with age, meaning masters athletes are more likely to be dehydrated without knowing it. Even mild dehydration — 2% of body weight — measurably impairs performance, concentration, and recovery.
Research note: Studies show that older adults have a diminished thirst response and reduced ability to concentrate urine, making proactive hydration strategies more important than simply drinking when thirsty. (Kenney & Chiu, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2001)
Daily hydration
- Don't rely on thirst — drink proactively
- Urine colour is a reliable indicator — pale yellow is ideal
- Increase intake in hot conditions and at altitude
- Spread intake throughout the day
Training & competition
- Pre-hydrate in the 2 hours before training
- Electrolytes matter for sessions over 60 minutes
- Sodium, potassium and magnesium lost in sweat
- Rehydrate with electrolytes post-session, not just water
Hydration in the app
The app factors weather conditions and session duration into hydration recommendations. Coach Chat can advise on competition-day hydration protocols specific to your event and expected conditions.
- Session-specific hydration targets
- Electrolyte guidance for endurance events
- Competition day hydration protocols
