Abstract

Age-related health complications such as muscle loss (sarcopenia), declining strength, and decreased physical performance are expected to become more common as the median age of the United States increases. This study explored whether daily supplementation with an Ingredient OptimizedTM (io) whey protein dietary supplement would improve muscle mass, body composition, and physical strength in elderly persons without an exercise regimen. Twenty adults between the ages of 65 and 80 were divided randomly into two groups which supplemented once daily with either the ioProteinTM supplement or a comparator protein supplement powder for 12 weeks. At baseline and after 12 weeks of the supplementation regimen, each participant was evaluated for muscle mass and body composition, resting metabolic rate, and physical strength and performance by a series of standardized Senior Fitness Tests. The experimental measurements were compared between the two supplementation groups by a oneway t-test. After 12 weeks of supplementing, the ioProteinTM group had significantly greater muscle mass (p=0.031) and lower fat mass (p=0.011) than the comparative group, while there was a trend of a higher lean body mass in the ioProteinTM group (p=0.056). Likewise, the ioProteinTM group experienced a significant increase in resting metabolic rate from baseline to 12 weeks (p=0.03). A greater number of participants from the ioProteinTM group experienced increased lean body mass and muscle strength from baseline to 12 weeks compared to the comparator supplement group. Overall, these findings suggest that ioProteinTM supplementation could be an effective means to counter agerelated muscle decline and associated complications and promote healthy aging, and that Ingredient OptimizedTM technology enhances the body’s absorption and utilization of supplemented protein without exercise. As no physical activity regimen was implemented during this study, the improvements noted can be considered to be a conservative quantification of the minimum effectiveness of ioProteinTM supplementation.

Keywords: Protein supplement; Aging; Muscle strength; Body mass; Ingredient optimizedTM