Protein Supplementation Does Not Significantly Augment the Effects of Resistance Exercise Training in Older Adults: A Systematic Review.
Danielle K Thomas, Marcus A Quinn, David H Saunders and 1 others
PMID 27670605WHAT IT FOUND
Protein supplements did not significantly boost the strength or muscle gains from resistance training in older adults.
While training itself worked, adding protein made no difference compared to training alone for most people.
Key findings
01Across 15 studies, improvements in muscle strength and size were not significantly different between groups receiving protein supplements plus resistance training and groups doing resistance training alone.
02Resistance training alone led to significant improvements in muscle strength in the majority of studies, supporting its use for maintaining muscle in older adults.
03There may be a benefit to protein supplementation for frail older adults or those in institutional care who have low baseline protein intake, as these groups showed some significant differences in lean body mass.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
High heterogeneity in study protocols, outcome measures, and supplement types prevented a comprehensive meta-analysis, with only two studies being comparable. Many included studies had small sample sizes and may have lacked the power to detect small differences between groups. Blinding was not reported in approximately half of the studies, and four did not use a placebo, raising the risk of performance bias. The review excluded studies on specific patient groups or clinical conditions other than frailty or sarcopenia, limiting generalizability to those populations.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that protein supplements are useless for all older adults. The null result applies primarily to those with adequate baseline protein intake. There may still be a benefit for frail individuals or those in care with low nutritional status, as suggested by the subgroup findings.