A Novel Fortified Dairy Product and Sarcopenia Measures in Sarcopenic Older Adults: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of daily consumption of fortified yogurt with beta-Hydroxy beta-Methyl Butyrate (HMB) and vitamins D and C on measures of sarcopenia, inflammation, and quality of life in sarcopenic older adults.

Design: In this 12-week randomized double-blind controlled trial, participants received either yogurt fortified with 3 g HMB, 1000 IU vitamin D, and 500 mg vitamin C in the intervention group (n = 33) or plain yogurt in the control group (n = 33).

Setting And Participants: A total of 66 older adults with sarcopenia recruited from the community in Shiraz, Iran.

Measures: Body composition, muscle strength, and functionality were measured using Dual-energy-X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), hydraulic handgrip dynamometer, and usual gait speed, respectively. Serum concentrations of vitamin D, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), malondialdehyde, and insulin were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was also evaluated using SF-12 questionnaire.

Results: Consumption of fortified yogurt was associated with improvement in handgrip strength [mean change (95% confidence interval) 4.36 (3.35-5.37) vs. 0.97 (-0.04 to 1.99)] and gait speed [0.10 (0.07-0.13) vs. 0.01 (0.00-0.04)] in the intervention group compared with the control group (P < .001). In addition, the results revealed a significant increase in vitamin D and IGF-1 levels in the intervention group (P < .001). The nutritional intervention significantly prevented any increase in the serum concentration of hs-CRP compared with the control group (P = .033). The results also showed a more significant decrease in the malondialdehyde level in the intervention group compared with the control (P = .008). Moreover, there were significant differences between the 2 groups regarding physical aspects of HRQoL (P = .035).

Conclusions And Implications: A novel dairy product fortified with HMB, vitamin D, and vitamin C not only could enhance muscle strength and functionality, but also modulate anabolic and inflammatory conditions as well as quality of life. This study suggested that specific nutritional interventions alone could be beneficial, especially for those who are unable to exercise.