Frailty is marked by the presence of fatigue, weight loss, diminished grip strength, decline in walking speed and muscle weakness. Frailty can heighten the risk of falls, disability, hospitalizations, and mortality among older people.^1,2 Frailty has often been linked with sarcopenia.² Additionally, age-related decline in muscle mass is associated with low physical performance in older adults.² Nutritional supplementation and resistance exercise seem to enhance muscle function.

A recent multicenter study assessed if whey protein supplementation can improve muscle function among frail older people in addition to resistance exercise. Overall, 115 frail older adults completed the study. Whey protein supplementation was given daily for 12 weeks to active group along with regular resistance exercise while control group followed only resistance exercise regimen.¹ Handgrip strength, gait speed, and chair-stand time were all significantly improved in both groups with significant between-group differences. The active group exhibited significant improvement in handgrip strength compared with the control group, with between-group effect for females being 0.107 kg (0.066-0.149), and for males being 0.89 kg (0.579-1.201). For chair-stand time, between-group effect was -2.875 s (-3.62 to -2.124) and for gait speed, the between-group effect was 0.109 m/s (0.090 to 0.130). The study concluded that whey protein oral nutritional supplement for a period of 12 weeks led to significant improvements in muscle function among frail elderly.

Another study determined the efficacy of whey protein supplementation on rehabilitation outcomes in frail, hospitalized elderly subjects. Forty seven men and women were randomly assigned to either a control group or whey protein group. Whey protein supplement significantly increased average daily protein intake and was well tolerated. Subjects given whey protein supplement had significant improvements in grip strength and knee extensor force compared to the control group. There was a significant positive correlation between change in pre-albumin and percent-increase knee extensor force. Whey protein supplement was thus found to improve protein nutritional status and rehabilitation outcomes among frail, elderly people.³

The studies thus state that a whey protein nutritional supplement can improve muscle function, protein nutritional status and enhance rehabilitation outcomes in frail older adults.

References

1. Kang L, Gao Y, Liu X, et al.Effects of whey protein nutritional supplement on muscle function among community-dwelling frail older people: A multicenter study in China.Arch GerontolGeriatr. 2019 Jul - Aug;83:7-12.
2. Liao C-D, Lee P-H, Hsiao D-J, et al.Effects of Protein Supplementation Combined with Exercise Intervention on Frailty Indices, Body Composition, and Physical Function in Frail Older Adults.Nutrients. 2018 Dec; 10(12): 1916.
3. Niccoli S, Kolobov A, Bon T, et al.Whey Protein Supplementation Improves Rehabilitation Outcomes in Hospitalized Geriatric Patients: A Double Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial. J NutrGerontolGeriatr. 2017 Oct-Dec;36(4):149-165.