Effect of exercise therapy combined with branched-chain amino acid supplementation on muscle strengthening in persons with osteoarthritis.
Takashi Ikeda, Tetsuya Jinno, Tadashi Masuda and 4 others
PMID 30930576WHAT IT FOUND
Adding branched-chain amino acids to unsupervised home exercises did not significantly improve hip muscle strength or walking speed compared to a placebo.
However, the amino acid group showed significantly greater strength improvement in the non-operated leg, suggesting a potential benefit for the healthy side.
Key findings
01There was no significant effect or interaction between groups for hip abductor muscle strength or grip strength.
02The improvement rate for hip abductor muscle strength on the contralateral (non-operated) side was significantly higher in the BCAA group (14.2%) compared to the control group (-2.6%).
03The 10-m timed gait test showed only a marginally significant difference between groups (p = 0.057), with no significant difference in the improvement rates.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was underpowered, with only 43 participants analyzed, which may have missed smaller effects. The intervention was unsupervised, relying on self-reported compliance, which can affect the quality of exercise performance. Dietary intake was not controlled, and nutritional parameters were not evaluated, making it difficult to isolate the effect of the supplement from overall nutrition. Some participants used NSAIDs, which may impair muscle protein synthesis and confound the results. The one-month duration may have been too short to detect significant changes in muscle strength or function.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the Tokushukai Group Ethics Committee. No specific commercial funding from supplement manufacturers was declared in the provided text, though the supplement used was a commercial product (Ajinomoto Co., Inc.).
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that BCAA supplementation improves walking speed or strength in the operated hip. The significant finding was limited to the non-operated leg's strength improvement rate, while the primary outcomes for the affected side and gait speed showed no significant benefit.