Effects of Whey Protein, Leucine, and Vitamin D Supplementation in Patients with Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
What this study found
Supplementation increased appendicular muscle mass in sarcopenic older adults (overall effect: SMD 0.27; 95% CI 0.09-0.44; p=0.003; I2=26%). Subgroups show larger gains with concurrent exercise (SMD 0.45; 95% CI 0.10-0.80; p=0.01) and still positive without exercise (SMD 0.21; 95% CI 0.01-0.41; p=0.04). Handgrip strength and SPPB improved significantly when supplementation was combined with exercise (handgrip: SMD 1.52; 95% CI 0.62-2.41; p=0.0009; I2=90; SPPB: SMD 1.97; 95% CI 1.54-2.40; p<0.00001; I2=90); without exercise, changes were not significant (handgrip: SMD 1.03; -0.10 to 2.16;…
- Study & population
- Three randomized controlled trials in older adults with sarcopenia.
- Intervention
- Bauer 2015: per-serving powder (40 g) delivering 20.7 g whey protein, 2.8 g total leucine, 800 IU vitamin D, 10.6 g essential amino acids, 9.4 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 1.3 g fiber, 1.3 g minerals, and 0.3 g trace elements; 150 kcal; consumed before breakfast and lunch; duration 13 weeks; no exercise.
- Key limitation
- Only three RCTs (n=637) in older adults with sarcopenia; regimens and exercise co-interventions varied across trials; durations ranged 4–13 weeks; some risk-of-bias concerns in individual studies; results may not generalize to non-sarcopenic older populations.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
(1) Background: In this study, a meta-analysis was performed to investigate the effects of whey protein, leucine, and vitamin D in sarcopenia; (2) Methods: We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Scopus databases and retrieved studies published until 5 December 2022. Randomized controlled trials were included to evaluate muscle mass, strength, and function, after using whey protein, leucine, and vitamin D supplementation in patients with sarcopenia; (3) Results: A total of three studies including 637 patients reported the effectiveness of using whey protein, leucine, and vitamin D supplementation in patients with sarcopenia. Without considering whether or not a physical exercise program was combined with nutritional supplementation, no significant differences in grip strength or short physical performance battery (SPPB) scores between the experimental and control groups were noted. However, appendicular muscle mass significantly improved in the experimental group compared to the control group. The results were analyzed according to the presence or absence of a concomitant physical exercise program. With the use of a concomitant physical exercise program, handgrip strength and SPPB scores in the experimental group significantly improved when compared to the control group. In contrast, when physical exercise was not combined, there was no significant improvement in the handgrip strength and SPPB scores of patients with sarcopenia. In addition, the appendicular muscle mass significantly increased regardless of the presence of a concomitant physical exercise program; (4) Conclusions: Whey protein, leucine, and vitamin D supplementation can increase appendicular muscle mass in patients with sarcopenia. In addition, combining a physical exercise program with whey protein, leucine, and vitamin D supplementation can improve muscle strength and function.