A multi-nutrient supplement reduced markers of inflammation and improved physical performance in active individuals of middle to older age: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at the intervention named in the title.

The purpose of the current investigation was to examine the effect of a multi-nutrient supplement containing branched chain amino acids, taurine, anti-inflammatory plant extracts, and B vitamins on inflammatory status, endothelial function, physical function, and mood in middle-aged individuals.

Why It Was Studied

While exercise acts to combat inflammation and aging, the ability to exercise may itself be compromised by inflammation and inflammation's impact on muscle recovery and joint inflammation.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were middle-aged adults, both men and women.

Thirty-one healthy and active men (N = 16, mean age 56 ± 6.0 yrs) and women (N = 15, mean age = 52 ± 7.5 yrs) participated in this investigation.

Subjects completed one 28 day cycle of placebo supplementation and one 28 day cycle of multi-nutrient supplementation (separated by a one week washout period) in a balanced, randomized, double-blind, cross-over design.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

The participants were allocated by chance, so the intervention group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Neither the participants nor the staff measuring them knew who was on the intervention named in the title, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with the intervention named in the title could be set against what happens without it.

In the crossover set-up each of the participants took both the intervention named in the title and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.

Testing consisted of brachial artery flow mediated dilation (FMD), blood measures, and physical performance on vertical jump, handgrip strength, and balance (dispersion from center of pressure).

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Aging, Creatine Kinase, Dietary Supplements, Exercise, Inflammation, Interleukin-6 and Physical Fitness.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study.

Its findings take up roughly 6 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2011 (Nutrition journal), a journal based in England.

More context: all human trials.