Nambi Gopal, Alghadier Mshari, Mohamed Shahul Hameed Pakkir, Vellaiyan Arul, Ebrahim Elturabi Elsayed, Eltabey Sobeh Dena, Aldhafian Osama R, Sirajudeen Mohamed Sherif, Muthusamy Hariraja, Unnikrishnan Radhakrishnan, Alshahrani Naif Nwihadh, Albarakati Alaa Jameel A
Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al Kharj, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
BMJ Nutr Prev Health. 2025 Apr 4;8(1):e001076. doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2024-001076. eCollection 2025.
Sarcopenia has become a significant health issue, particularly as a common consequence of COVID-19 in older adults.
This study aimed to explore the clinical and psychological effects of integrated physical training with a high-protein diet compared with a regular protein diet in community-dwelling older men who had recovered from COVID-19 and exhibited symptoms of sarcopenia.
This is a single-blinded, randomised, controlled study conducted from March 2020 to December 2023 at the University hospital. The eligible participants were randomly assigned to two groups using the block randomisation method. The first group underwent integrated physical training with a high-protein diet (group A; n=38), with an average age of 64.1±3.8 years, while the second group underwent integrated physical training with a regular protein diet (group B; n=38), with an average age of 64.5±3.6 years over an 8-week period. Clinical parameters (handgrip strength and muscle mass-cross-sectional area CSA) and psychological measures (kinesiophobia and quality of life) were assessed at baseline, the fourth week, the eighth week and at a 6-month follow-up. The data were analysed using a 4×2 mixed model for repeated measures at different time points.
Demographic characteristics such as age, height, weight and body mass index did not show any statistically significant differences between the groups (p>0.05). After the 8-week intervention and at the 6-month follow-up, handgrip strength decreased by -5.0 (95% CI -6.21 to -3.78), midthigh CSA decreased by -3.7 (95% CI -6.53 to -0.86), midcalf CSA decreased by -4.4 (95% CI -6.80 to -2.00), kinesiophobia level increased by 8.1 (95% CI 7.16 to 9.03) and quality of life decreased by -6.3 (95% CI -9.0 to -3.5). The findings indicated significantly greater improvement (p<0.001) in group A compared with group B, although there was no significant difference in muscle CSA in the arm region (p>0.05).
Integrated physical training with a high-protein diet led to improvements in clinical (muscle strength and muscle mass) and psychological (kinesiophobia and quality of life) parameters compared with integrated physical training with a regular protein diet in older men recovering from COVID-19 and displaying symptoms of sarcopenia.
肌肉减少症已成为一个重大的健康问题，尤其是作为老年人感染新冠病毒后的常见后果。
本研究旨在探讨与常规蛋白质饮食相比，高蛋白饮食结合体育综合训练对从新冠病毒感染中康复且有肌肉减少症症状的社区老年男性的临床和心理影响。
这是一项于2020年3月至2023年12月在大学医院进行的单盲、随机、对照研究。符合条件的参与者使用区组随机化方法随机分为两组。第一组接受高蛋白饮食结合体育综合训练（A组；n = 38），平均年龄为64.1±3.8岁，而第二组接受常规蛋白质饮食结合体育综合训练（B组；n = 38），在8周期间平均年龄为64.5±3.6岁。在基线、第4周、第8周和6个月随访时评估临床参数（握力和肌肉质量 - 横截面积CSA）和心理指标（运动恐惧和生活质量）。使用4×2混合模型对不同时间点的重复测量数据进行分析。
年龄、身高、体重和体重指数等人口统计学特征在两组之间未显示出任何统计学上的显著差异（p>0.05）。在8周干预后和6个月随访时，握力下降了 -5.0（95%CI -6.21至 -3.78），大腿中部CSA下降了 -3.7（95%CI -6.53至 -0.86），小腿中部CSA下降了 -4.4（95%CI -6.80至 -2.00），运动恐惧水平增加了8.1（95%CI 7.16至9.03），生活质量下降了 -6.3（95%CI -9.0至 -3.5）。研究结果表明，与B组相比，A组有显著更大的改善（p<0.001），尽管手臂区域的肌肉CSA没有显著差异（p>0.05）。
与常规蛋白质饮食结合体育综合训练相比，高蛋白饮食结合体育综合训练使从新冠病毒感染中康复且有肌肉减少症症状的老年男性在临床（肌肉力量和肌肉质量）和心理（运动恐惧和生活质量）参数方面得到改善。
