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T. Ikeda1,2,3,4, S. Suzuki1,5, K. Aimoto2, Y. Matsunaga1,2,3, A. Kamono1,3, T. Takahashi2,6, S. Furuyama2, S. Inoue2,6, Y. Noguchi2,6, T. Jinno4,7, K. Kanzaki8
1Showa University, School of Nursing and Rehabilitation Sciences, Yokohama, Japan, 2Showa University Fujigaoka Rehabilitation Hospital, Rehabilitation Center, Yokohama, Japan, 3Showa University, Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Yokohama, Japan, 4Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, 5Showa University Northern Yokohama Hospital, Department of Rehabilitation, Yokohama, Japan, 6Showa University, Graduate School of Health Science, Yokohama, Japan, 7Dokkyo Medical University Saitama Medical Center, Second Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Saitama, Japan, 8Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital, Orthopedic, Yokohama, Japan
Background: Recently, the combination of exercise and branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation has been viewed with keen interest. The effects of combined intervention on improving muscle strength or mass has gained a certain consensus, and the range of its use is expanding to stroke, hip fracture, and artificial joint replacement.
Purpose: This study investigated the effects of the combined intervention of exercise and BCAA supplementation on improving physical performance and muscle mass in convalescent orthopedic patients.
Methods: The subjects were 32 orthopedic patients who were admitted to a ward for rehabilitation during convalescence (age: 71.0±16.1). The participants were randomly divided into two groups: BCAA (n=16) and control (n=16). The exercise intervention was performed in the rehabilitation hospital, with 2 sessions every day for 1 months for both groups. For the nutritional intervention, 3.4 g of BCAAs or 1.2 g of starch were consumed immediately after exercise. We determined muscle mass and luminosity of a rectus femoris muscle (RF), isometric muscle strength (knee extension, grip), timed up-and-go test (TUGT), functional independence measure (FIM), energy consumption and intake, number of combined therapy sessions, nutritional status, and demographic data. Muscle mass and luminosity of RF were measured by using ultrasonic reflectoscpe.
Results: There was significant difference in the main effect between the groups in knee extension strength in healthy side (pre- and post-combined therapy: p=0.04), TUG (pre- and post-combined therapy: p=0.002) and FIM score (pre- and post-combined therapy: p=0.04). There were no significant effects and interactions between the groups in muscle mass and luminosity of RF. The comparison of improvement rates from the base line for knee extension strength of the healthy side (BCAA group: 51.6% ± 65.8%; control group: 20.3% ± 30.6%) and TUG (BCAA group: -49.0% ± 19.7%; control group: -36.7% ± 24.5%) were significantly better in the BCAA group.
Conclusion(s): The results suggest that ingestion of BCAAs after exercise is effective for promoting rehabilitation of convalescent orthopedic patients. This result is in agreement with multiple previous studies. Further study is needed to investigate the feasibility of the combined intervention for convalescent orthopedic patients.
Implications: Combined treatment using BCAAs with exercise therapy, even 1 month in convalescent orthopedic patients, can effectively improving physical function.
Funding, acknowledgements: JSPS KAKENHI grants (Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists, grant number JP 19K20159)
Keywords: orthopedic, branched-chain amino acid, convalescent
Topic: Orthopaedics
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: Showa University
Committee: Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital Ethics Committee
Ethics number: F2019C09
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
