Effects of branched-chain amino acids and vitamin D supplementation on physical function, muscle mass and strength, and nutritional status in sarcopenic older adults undergoing hospital-based rehabilitation: A multicenter randomized controlled trial.

What Was Tested

The paper reports a study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc, published as a randomized controlled trial.

To investigate the effects of branched-chain amino acids and vitamin D supplementation on physical function, muscle strength, muscle mass, and nutritional status in sarcopenic older adults undergoing hospital-based rehabilitation.

Who Took Part

The age groups tagged for this paper are older adults and people over 80, both men and women.

The researchers carried out an 8-week, multicenter, randomized, controlled, blinded outcome, two-cohort parallel group intervention trial of sarcopenic older adults undergoing in-hospital rehabilitation.

The eligibility criteria included older adults (aged ≥65 years) with low muscle strength (handgrip strength) and low muscle mass (calf circumference) according to the cut-off values for older Asians.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, multicenter and parallel-group.

Because people in this Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc study were split into groups at random, differences between the groups are less likely to reflect who happened to join each one.

Running at several centres spread the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc study over different clinics and patient groups.

The Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc group and the comparison group ran side by side rather than switching.

The intervention group received branched-chain amino acids and vitamin D supplementation, whereas the control group did not.

Both groups underwent low-intensity resistance training in addition to the post-acute rehabilitation program.

The primary outcome of physical function (Functional Independence Measure-motor scores), and the secondary outcomes of muscle strength (handgrip strength), muscle mass (calf circumference) and nutritional status (body mass index) were measured at baseline and at the end of the intervention.

What Was Measured

The subject headings attached to it are Amino Acids, Branched-Chain, Body Composition, Dietary Supplements, Exercise, Geriatric Assessment, Muscle Strength and Muscle, Skeletal.

Author keywords: branched-chain amino acid, convalescent rehabilitation, older adults, sarcopenia and vitamin D.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, multicenter and parallel-group study of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 6 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2019 (Geriatrics & gerontology international), a journal based in Japan.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.