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The impact of dietary protein or amino acid supplementation on muscle mass and strength in elderly people: Individual participant data and meta-analysis of RCT’s

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

Increasing protein or amino acid intake has been promoted as a promising strategy to increase muscle mass and strength in elderly people, however, long-term intervention studies show inconsistent findings. Therefore, we aim to determine the impact of protein or amino acid supplementation compared to placebo on muscle mass and strength in older adults by combining the results from published trials in a metaanalysis and pooled individual participant data analysis.

Design

We searched Medline and Cochrane databases and performed a meta-analysis on eight available trials on the effect of protein or amino acid supplementation on muscle mass and strength in older adults. Furthermore, we pooled individual data of six of these randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials. The main outcomes were change in lean body mass and change in muscle strength for both the meta-analysis and the pooled analysis.

Results

The meta-analysis of eight studies (n=557) showed no significant positive effects of protein or amino acid supplementation on lean body mass (mean difference: 0.014 kg: 95% CI -0.152; 0.18), leg press strength (mean difference: 2.26 kg: 95% CI -0.56; 5.08), leg extension strength (mean difference: 0.75 kg: 95% CI: -1.96, 3.47) or handgrip strength (mean difference: -0.002 kg: 95% CI -0.182; 0.179). Likewise, the pooled analysis showed no significant difference between protein and placebo treatment on lean body mass (n=412: p=0.78), leg press strength (n=121: p=0.50), leg extension strength (n=121: p=0.16) and handgrip strength (n=318: p=0.37).

Conclusions

There is currently no evidence to suggest that protein or amino acid supplementation without concomitant nutritional or exercise interventions increases muscle mass or strength in predominantly healthy elderly people.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, PO Box 8129, 6700 EV, Wageningen, the Netherlands

    M. Tieland, R. Franssen, C. Dullemeijer & Lisette C. P. G. M. de Groot

  2. NUTRIM School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, the Netherlands

    R. Franssen & L. J. C. van Loon

  3. Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Sports and Nutrition, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

    C. van Dronkelaar

  4. Research Team for Promoting Independence of the Elderly, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan

    H. Kyung Kim

  5. Carnegie Faculty, School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK

    T. Ispoglou

  6. School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

    K. Zhu & R. L. Prince

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  1. M. Tieland
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  2. R. Franssen
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  3. C. Dullemeijer
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  4. C. van Dronkelaar
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  5. H. Kyung Kim
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  6. T. Ispoglou
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  7. K. Zhu
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  9. L. J. C. van Loon
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  10. Lisette C. P. G. M. de Groot
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Correspondence to Lisette C. P. G. M. de Groot.

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Tieland, M., Franssen, R., Dullemeijer, C. et al. The impact of dietary protein or amino acid supplementation on muscle mass and strength in elderly people: Individual participant data and meta-analysis of RCT’s. J Nutr Health Aging 21, 994–1001 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-017-0896-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-017-0896-1

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