Nutrient Support to Body Composition and Healthy Ageing
Condition: Sarcopenia; Osteopenia
MeSH terms: Bone Diseases, Metabolic; Sarcopenia
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The focus is healthy ageing, i.e. delaying the deterioration in health status in older
      adults. Loss of lean tissue (skeletal muscle) mass, a process termed sarcopenia, or bone
      tissue mass, a process called osteopenia, is a consequence of aging per se, modified by
      nutrition and lifestyle behaviour.

      The aim is to conduct a study of body composition, physical activity, muscle function and
      ability to undertake activities of daily living in older Irish men and women and to
      investigate the effect of a six month period of nutrient support, or nutrient plus physical
      activity on lean tissue mass and function and bone mass in men and women aged 50 to 70 years.
    

Detailed description: 
      Study Design: The study is a convenience population study and 6-month randomised control
      trial (RCT) of men and women age 55 to 70 years.

      The study groups (n=60 per group) for the RCT are:

        1. CON - a control group receiving a placebo nutrient support (per kg of body mass: 0.25g
           maltodextrin; energy ~ 160 kcal per day)

        2. PRO - a nutrient group receiving a nutrient support (per kg of body mass: 0.33g milk
           protein + 0.25ug vitamin D + 10mg calcium; energy ~ 160 kcal per day)

        3. PRO+PA - a nutrient group receiving a nutrient support (per kg of body mass: 0.33g milk
           protein + 0.25ug vitamin D + 10mg calcium; energy ~ 160 kcal per day) and engaging in a
           prescribed physical activity (PA).

      Subject recruitment: Men and women, age 50 to 70 years, will be recruited through the UL Body
      Composition Study, by email advertisement, GP-exercise referral scheme, feature article(s) in
      the local media and word of mouth.

      Requirement of the participants.

      On entry each subject will undertake a preliminary assessment as follows:

      i. medical history and examination by a qualified medical doctor ; ii. provide a blood and
      urine sample to be evaluated by a qualified medical doctor; iii. food intake evaluated by a
      qualified dietician; iv. whole body and segmental body composition analysis (DXA); v.
      habitual physical activity level (PAL) vi. measurement of muscle function and performance in
      simulated activities of daily living.

      One month following the preliminary assessment subjects will be invited to participate in a 6
      month intervention programme of nutrient or nutrient plus physical activity. Consenting
      subjects will be randomly assigned to one of the three study groups stated above.

      Upon completion (6 months), subjects will be re-assessed as follows; i. provide a blood and
      urine sample; ii. whole body and segmental body composition analysis (DXA); iii. measurement
      of muscle function and performance in simulated activities of daily living.
    

Intervention name(s): CONTROL; PROTEIN; PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Intervention type(s): Dietary Supplement; Dietary Supplement; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Maltodextrin (generic) in powder form, flavoured and instantised to be dissolved in water.; The milk protein matrix (PROTEIN) comprised a 9:2:1 ratio of milk protein concentrate (MPC, 80% (w/w protein) Glanbia Nutritionals, Kilkenny, Ireland), whey protein concentrate hydrolysate, degree of hydrolysis 32% (WPC DH 32, 78% (w/w protein) Carbery Ingredients, Ballineen, Ireland), whey protein isolate hydrolysate, degree of hydrolysis 45% (WPI DH 45, 75% (w/w protein) Glanbia Nutritionals). The total protein content was 72.7g/100g powder. The protein matrix was supplemented with 2187mg/100g powder of milk-based calcium (Trucal™, Glanbia) and 57.3mg/100g powder vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), flavoured and instantised to be dissolved in water.; A structured, progressive programme of exercises using resistance exercise bands supervised by clinical therapists undertaken three times per week for 24 weeks of the intervention.
Other intervention name(s): MALTODEXTRIN; MILK PROTEIN MATRIX (MPM); PA
Intervention MeSH terms: Caseins
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Factorial Assignment
Masking: Single (Participant)
Primary purpose: Prevention
Keywords: Ageing; Body Composition; Nutrition; Physical Activity