Sarcopenia (Muscle Wasting)

  • Paddon-Jones D. Amino acid ingestion improves muscle protein synthesis in the young and elderly. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2004 Mar;286(3):E321-8.                                                          

Essential Amino acid supplementation acutely stimulated muscle protein synthesis in both young and elderly individuals

  • Solerte SB. Nutritional supplements with oral amino acid mixtures increases whole-body lean mass and insulin sensitivity in elderly subjects with sarcopenia. Am J Cardiol. 2008 Jun 2;101(11A):69E-77E.

These preliminary data indicate that nutritional supplements with the oral AA mixture significantly increased whole-body lean mass in elderly subjects with sarcopenia. The improvement in the amount of whole-body lean mass could be linked to increased insulin sensitivity and anabolic conditions related to IGF-1 availability.

  • . Clinical use of amino acids as dietary supplement: pros and cons. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2011 Jun;2(2):75-80.

Losses of muscle mass and impaired immune function are related to reduced protein supply, and there is increasing evidence that regular essential amino acid intake as part of an oral diet is effective in reversing muscle catabolism, promoting muscle anabolism, and restoring immunological function.

  • Essential amino acids are primarily responsible for the amino acid stimulation of muscle protein anabolism in healthy elderly adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Aug;78(2):250-8.
  • English KL. Protecting muscle mass and function in older adults during bed rest. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 Jan;13(1):34-9.
  • Cruz-Jentoft AJ.  Prevalence of and intervention for sarcopenia in ageing adults: a systematic review.  Report of the International Sarcopenia Initiative (EWGSOP and IWGS).  Age Ageing. 2014 Nov; 43(6): 748-59. 

Physicians should screen for sarcopenia in both community and geriatric settings, with diagnosis based on muscle mass and function. Supervised resistance exercise is recommended for individuals with sarcopenia. EAA (with leucine) and HMB may improve muscle outcomes.

  • Kim HK. Effects of exercise and amino acid supplementation on body composition and physical function in community-dwelling elderly Japanese sarcopenic women: a randomized controlled trial. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012 Jan;60(1):16-23.

The data suggest that exercise and AAS together may be effective in enhancing not only muscle strength, but also combined variables of muscle mass and walking speed and of muscle mass and strength in sarcopenic women.

  • Rondanelli M. Effect of essential amino acid supplementation on quality of life, amino acid profile and strength in institutionalized elderly patients. Clin Nutr. 2011 Oct;30(5):571-7.

Oral supplementation with essential amino acids improved several determinants of quality of life in institutionalized elderly patients, including depressive symptoms, nutrition, muscle function and daily life activity.

  • Ferrando AA.  EAA supplementation to increase nitrogen intake improves muscle function during bed rest in the elderly. Clin Nutr. 2010 Feb;29(1):18-23.
  • Brooks N. Resistance training and timed essential amino acids protect against the loss of muscle mass and strength during 28 days of bed rest and energy deficit. J Appl Physiol. 2008 Jul;105(1):241-8.
  • Aquilani R. Essential amino acids and exercise tolerance in elderly muscle-depleted subjects with chronic diseases: a rehabilitation without rehabilitation? Biomed Res Int. 2014; 2014:341603.

Recent studies show that supplemented essential amino acids (EAAs) may exert beneficial effects on CHF/COPD physical capacity. Supplemented EAAs can improve the physical autonomy of subjects with CHF/COPD.

  • Paddon-Jones D. Amino acid supplementation for reversing bed rest and steroid myopathies. J Nutr.  2005 Jul;135(7):1809S-1812S.
  • Nisoli E.  Amino acids and mitochondrial biogenesis. Am J Cardiol. 2008 Jun 2;101(11A):22E-25E.

Here, we suggest that some types of nutrients, including specific mixtures of amino acids, may improve mitochondrial biogenesis and energy production in energy-defective conditions by increasing endothelial NO synthase expression.

  • Manders RJ. Insulinotropic and muscle protein synthetic effects of branched-chain amino acids:  potential therapy for type 2 diabetes and sarcopenia.  Nutrients. 2012 Nov 8;4(11):1664-78.
  • Henderson GC. Potential application of essential amino Acid supplementation to treat sarcopenia in elderly people. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 May;94(5):1524-6.
  • Dillon EL. Amino acid supplementation increases lean body mass, basal muscle protein synthesis, and insulin-like growth factor-I expression in older women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 May;94(5):1630-7.
  •  Oral amino acid supplements improve exercise capacities in elderly patients with chronic heart failure. Am J Cardiol. 2008; 101:104E‐110E
  • .  Impairment in walking capacity and myocardial function in the elderly: is there a role for nonpharmacologic therapy with nutritional amino acid supplements? Am J Cardiol. 2008; 101: 78E‐81E
  • Hélio José Coelho-Júnior et al.  Relative Protein Intake and Physical Function in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.  Nutrients. 2018 Sep 19;10(9):1330.

In conclusion, findings of the present study indicate that a very high (≥1.2 g/kg/day) and high protein intake (≥1.0 g/kg/day) are associated with better lower-limb physical performance, when compared to low protein (<0.80 g/kg/day) intake, in community-dwelling older adults.

  • Hélio José Coelho-Júnior et al. Low Protein Intake Is Associated with Frailty in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Nutrients. 2018 Sep 19;10(9):1334.

Our findings suggest that a high consumption of dietary protein is inversely associated with frailty in older adults.

  • Jason M Cholewa et al. Dietary proteins and amino acids in the control of the muscle mass during immobilization and aging: role of the MPS response.  Amino Acids. 2017 May;49(5):811-820.
  • Christos S Katsanos et al. Essential amino acid ingestion as an efficient nutritional strategy for the preservation of muscle mass following gastric bypass surgery. Nutrition. 2016 Jan;32(1):9-13.

Changing current dietary practices towards increasing ingestion of essential amino acids provides an approach that can potentially prevent loss of lean body tissue and ultimately achieve a more sustained level of health in patients that have undergone gastric bypass.

  • Pasini, E. et al. Protein-amino acid metabolism disarrangements: The hidden enemy of chronic age-related conditions. Nutrients 10, 1–11 (2018).

Scientific Papers

Prediction/ Diagnosis /Treatment of Health Problems with Amino Acids: