With this study, the group of researchers from UIC Barcelona and the University of Zaragoza sought to evaluate how effective the combination of resistance training and protein supplementation can be in improving muscle strength and physical performance in healthy elderly adults, compared to resistance training alone or when combined with a placebo.
The journal Nutrients recently published the main results from the study led by Dr Albert Pérez-Bellmunt, lecturer from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, in which researchers Noé Labata, Luís Llurda and Jacobo Rodríguez from the department of Basic Sciences have also participated, alongside researchers Carlos López de Celis and Vanessa González from the department of Physiotherapy.
Under the title “
Effectiveness of Protein Supplementation Combined with Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Physical Performance in Elderly: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”, the study shows how protein supplementation does not offer any additional benefits to elderly adults that practice resistance training. “The ageing of the world’s population and the physical inactivity of older adults represent a major public health problem. Such a trend includes an increased prevalence of ageing-related mobility impairments, even with ageing in the absence of disease”, explains Dr Pérez-Bellmunt. “For this reason, we conducted a meta-analysis, the conclusions of which allow us to reduce the loss of strength and muscle mass associated with ageing, as well as establish more effective protocols to improve sarcopenia".
In order to carry out the study, the researchers from UIC Barcelona collaborated with researchers from the University of Zaragoza to conduct a systematic review of 16 studies that include a total of 657 participants.
