Camire quoted in Bicycling article on essential nutrients for older athletes
Mary Ellen Camire, a University of Maine professor of food science and human nutrition and past president of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), was quoted in the Bicycling article, “6 essential nutrients for athletes 50 and up.” Nutritional needs continue to evolve as people grow older, according to the article, which is especially noticeable after age 50 when the body may need higher levels of certain essential nutrients to maintain good health and optimal muscle function, at the same time that the body may not be absorbing the nutrients as efficiently as it used to. The IFT recently published a paper summarizing key essential nutritional ingredients that active adults — including cyclists — need after 50, the article states. “Riding places a lot of demands on your body, and as you get older and your body starts breaking down here and there, it’s especially important to stay on top of the nutrition you need to support it and keep it strong and healthy,” Camire said. “These foods and nutrients, as part of a balanced healthy diet, can help.”