Published in:
01-04-2019 | Sarcopenia
The Effect of Branched Chain Amino Acids-Enriched Nutritional Supplements on Activities of Daily Living and Muscle Mass in Inpatients with Gait Impairments: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Published in: The journal of nutrition, health & aging | Issue 4/2019
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Objective
To investigate the effects of continuous intervention with branched chain amino acids-enriched nutritional supplements from the acute phase to convalescent rehabilitation wards in inpatients with gait impairments.
Design
Open-label, randomized, parallel-group comparison study (UMIN Clinical Trials Registry ID: UMIN000018640).
Setting
Acute care and convalescent rehabilitation wards
Participants
We studied 80 patients undergoing stand/gait training.
Interventions
Participants in the intervention group (RJ group) received nutritional supplements (jelly foods comprising 2500 mg BCAA and 20 IU vitamin D) twice a day until hospital discharge.
Measurements
The primary outcome was the motor components of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM-m), and the secondary outcome was skeletal muscle mass index.
Results
Analyses were conducted on 55 patients who were able to perform stand/gait training continuously from the acute until the recovery phases. FIM-m was significantly elevated in the RJ group and the control group, but no difference was noted between the two groups. Only the RJ group showed a significant increase in skeletal muscle mass index, and the amount of variation was significantly different between the two groups (the control group decreased an average of 2.2% and the RJ group increased an average of 4.3%; P = 0.014). A significant decrease in body weight was found only in the control group (P = 0.084).
Conclusions
Nutritional interventions using branched chain amino acids (BCAA)-enriched nutritional supplements demonstrated no significant difference in activities of daily living; however, an increase in skeletal muscle mass was noted. Skeletal muscle mass and body weight differed significantly between the two groups, and BCAA-enriched nutritional supplements intake in acute and convalescent rehabilitation wards may be effective for the prevention of malnutrition and sarcopenia.