News Release

Can combined exercise and nutritional intervention improve muscle mass and function?

A study of the combined effect of exercise and nutrition intervention on muscle mass and function in seniors finds that exercise has a positive impact, with some possible additive effect of dietary supplementation.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

International Osteoporosis Foundation

Although progressive muscle loss is a natural part of ageing, sarcopenia is generally identified when muscle mass and muscle function falls below defined thresholds. Sarcopenia's impact can be enormous as it affects mobility, balance, risk of falls and fractures, and overall ability to perform tasks of daily living. Given the ageing of populations worldwide, public health and clinical recommendations to prevent and manage sarcopenia are urgently needed.

The new systematic review 'Nutrition and Physical Activity in the Prevention and Treatment of Sarcopenia' [1] summarizes the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of interventions combining physical activity and dietary supplements on muscle mass and muscle function in subjects aged 60 years and older.

Following up on a previous study [2], the new study looked at a total of 37 RCTs. The studies were heterogeneous both in terms of protocols for physical exercise and in regard to dietary supplementation. The various supplements used included proteins, essential amino acids, creatine, β-hydroxy-β-methylbuthyrate, vitamin D, multi-nutrients and others.

Professor René Rizzoli, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at University Hospitals of Geneva, stated: "Previous trials have shown that physical activity, and primarily resistance training interventions, have a positive impact on muscle strength and physical performance. Other studies have suggested that certain dietary supplements play a role in muscle mass or function. However, more needs to be learned about the synergistic effects of these two interventions."

The review concluded that:

    * In 79% of the studies, muscle mass increased with exercise and an additional effect of nutrition was found in 23.5% of the RCTs.

    * Muscle strength increased in 82.8% of the studies following exercise intervention and dietary supplementation showed additional benefits in a small number of studies (22,8%).

    * The majority of studies showed an increase of physical performance following exercise intervention (92.8%) and interaction with nutrition supplementation was found in 14.3% of these studies.

Physical exercise was found to have a positive impact on muscle mass and muscle function in healthy subjects aged 60 years and older. The greatest effect of exercise intervention, of any type, was observed on physical performance (gait speed, chair rising test, balance, SPPB test, etc.). Based on the included studies, mainly performed in well-nourished subjects, the combined effect of dietary supplementation on muscle function was less than expected.

Professor Elaine Dennison, Professor of Musculoskeletal Epidemiology and Honorary Consultant in Rheumatology within Medicine at the University of Southampton, noted: "Among the challenges in carrying out this study was the great heterogeneity in the RCTs, including in the exercise protocols and in the dosage of supplementation, all of which contributes to the variable findings between studies. Nevertheless, the results of the systematic review show the overwhelming positive impact of exercise interventions. One should also bear in mind that the majority of studies included in this systematic review looked at primarily healthy older subjects. It is likely that populations with nutritional or physical deficiencies would benefit more from nutritional interventions than well-nourished populations."

The study authors point to a need for more well-designed studies assessing the impact of a combined exercise intervention and dietary intervention in frail and sarcopenic populations, and in populations suffering from nutritional deficiency or at risk of malnutrition. Furthermore, future studies should include rigorous documentation of the subjects' baseline exercise levels and nutritional status prior to the implementation of intervention regimens.

###

[1] C Beaudart, A Dawson, SC Shaw, NC Harvey, JA Kanis, N Binkley, J Y Reginster, R Chapurlat, DC Chan, O Bruyère, R Rizzoli, C Cooper, E M Dennison and the IOF-ESCEO Sarcopenia Working Group. Nutrition and physical activity in the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia: systematic review Osteoporos Int (2017). doi:10.1007/s00198-017-3980-9 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00198-017-3980-9

[2] Denison HJ, Cooper C, Sayer AA, Robinson SM (2015) Prevention and optimal management of sarcopenia: a review of combined exercise and nutrition interventions to improve muscle outcomes in older people. Clin Interv Aging 10:859-69. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S55842

The IOF-ESCEO Sarcopenia Working Group thanks Nestlé Health Science and Pfizer Consumer Healthcare for the unrestricted educational grant in support of this research.

About Osteoporosis International

An international multi-disciplinary journal which is a joint initiative between the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) of the USA, Osteoporosis International provides an interdisciplinary platform for the communication of high quality original, experimental or clinical papers on all aspects of osteoporosis and other metabolic bone diseases. It publishes studies pertaining to the diagnosis, prevention, treatment and management of osteoporosis, and the spectrum of disorders that deficiencies in bone density can produce. Co-Editors in Chief: John A. Kanis, Felicia Cosman ISSN: 0937-941X (print version) / ISSN: 1433-2965 (electronic version) http://www.springer.com/medicine/orthopedics/journal/198

About IOF

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is the world's largest nongovernmental organization dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. IOF members, including committees of scientific researchers as well as 234 patient, medical and research societies in 99 locations, work together to make fracture prevention and healthy mobility a worldwide heath care priority. http://www.iofbonehealth.org / http://www.facebook.com/iofbonehealth @iofbonehealth


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.