Elastic-band resistance exercise or vibration treatment in combination with hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB) supplement for management of sarcopenia in older people: a study protocol for a single-blinded randomised controlled trial in Hong Kong

Abstract

IntroductionSarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome characterised by progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function with risks of adverse outcomes and becomes more prevalent due to ageing population. Elastic-band exercise, vibration treatment and hydroxymethylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation were previously proven to have positive effects on the control of sarcopenia. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of elastic-band exercise or vibration treatment with HMB supplementation in managing sarcopenia. Our findings will provide a safe and efficient strategy to mitigate the progression of sarcopenia in older people and contribute to higher quality of life as well as improved long-term health outcomes of elderly people.Methods and analysisIn this single-blinded, randomised controlled trial (RCT), subjects will be screened for sarcopenia based on the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) definition and 144 sarcopenic subjects aged 65 or above will be recruited. This RCT will have three groups evaluated at two time points to measure changes over 3 months—the control and the groups with combined HMB supplement and elastic-band resistance exercise or vibration treatment. Changes in muscle strength in lower extremity will be the primary outcome. Muscle strength in the upper extremity, gait speed, muscle mass (based on AWGS definition), functional performance in terms of balancing ability and time-up-and-go test and quality of life will be taken as secondary outcomes. In addition, each participant’s daily activity will be monitored by a wrist-worn activity tracker. Repeated-measures analysis of variance will be performed to compare within-subject changes between control and treatment groups at two time points of pretreatments and post-treatments.Ethics and disseminationThe procedures have been approved by the Joint CUHK-NTEC Clinical Research Management Office (Ref. CREC 2018.602) and conformed to the Declaration of Helsinki. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conferences and workshops.Trial registration numberNCT04028206.

Relationship Between Sarcopenia and Cardiovascular Diseases in the Elderly: An Overview

“…A review of Clinical Trials showed that HMB supplementation is essential for the maintenance of muscle mass in the elderly over 65 years old, especially the elderly who are bedridden or sedentary, and contributes to the reduction of muscle metabolism. Many studies have shown that HMB increased muscle mass and strength in older people with reduced lean body mass ( 100 – 102 ). In addition, studies have shown that HMB supplementation has a positive effect on lowering plasma cholesterol and blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease ( 103 – 105 ).…”

A review of the components of exercise prescription for sarcopenic older adults

“…Of the 27 studies on resistance exercises, 9 studies ( n = 9) used repetition maximum (RM) criteria [ 18 , 25 , 27 , 29 , 30 , 32 , 36 , 37 , 40 ], whereas 10 studies ( n = 10) used rating of perceived exertion (RPE) [ 15 , 19 , 21 , 23 , 26 , 28 , 31 , 38 , 39 , 41 ] criteria to quantify the intensity of resistance training. One study each ( n = 1) used OMNI-RES scale (OMNI-Rating of perceived Exertion scale) [ 34 ], heart rate reserve criteria [ 20 ] or coach-adjusted resistance criteria [ 24 ], and maximal theoretical force [ 33 ] while four studies ( n = 4) [ 16 , 17 , 22 , 35 ] did not report the method used for intensity measurement. The percentage of 1RM, which ranged from 20 to 80% of 1RM, was used by all the nine studies that used RM criteria, and of the 10 studies ( n = 10) that used RPE, it ranged from 6 to 14 points.…”

Trends in Nutrition Research for Sarcopenia: A Bibliometric Analysis

“…Moreover, by 2050, there will be 426 million older people, up from 143 million in 2019. Increasing geriatric populations lead to a rise in sarcopenia, a geriatric syndrome characterized by progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function [ 25 ]. Developing a nomenclature for aging-related skeletal muscle degeneration was a major step towards reaching international consensus on the issue in 2016 [ 26 ].…”