ORCID
- Patricia Casas-Agustench: 0000-0003-4424-1087
Abstract
Background: Older adults are at a greater risk of developing sarcopenia as a result of reduced mobility, malnutrition, dietary changes and certain diseases. There are no systematic reviews in the literature analysing the effects of supplementation with leucine alone or as part of a supplement, and with or without physical exercise in older people with sarcopenia. We aimed to systematically review the evidence in intervention studies on the effects of supplementation with leucine, either alone, combined with other supplements, or combined with other supplements and physical exercise in older people with sarcopenia. Materials and methods: Literature searches related to the topic were conducted in three databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane and SciELO) looking for articles published prior to December 2020. This review includes intervention studies in older adults over 60 years of age with a history of sarcopenia where researchers reported on the effects of leucine supplementation, with or without physical exercise, related to the disease's treatments or outcomes. Results: The systematic review identified three intervention studies examining the effect of leucine without physical exercise, one on leucine with physical exercise, seven on leucine paired with another nutrient and without physical exercise, and twelve on leucine paired with another nutrient and physical exercise. The results revealed that leucine supplementation alone and without physical exercise did not improve markers of sarcopenia, whereas interventions pairing leucine with supplements, particularly leucine-enriched protein supplements, are a promising treatment for the improvement of sarcopenic markers, whether with or without physical exercise. Conclusions: Leucine supplementation, specifically paired with protein supplements, both with and without physical exercise, was found to be an effective dietary intervention for the improvement of sarcopenia. Further dietary interventions are necessary to calculate effective dosage quantities for both leucine and nutrient supplementation as an integral part of the treatment.
DOI
10.1016/j.endinu.2021.10.006
Publication Date
2022-01-01
Publication Title
Endocrinologia, Diabetes y Nutricion
Volume
69
Issue
8
ISSN
2530-0164
Embargo Period
2024-05-18
Keywords
Aging, Leucine, Older people, Physical exercise, Sarcopenia, Supplementation
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
First Page
601
Last Page
613
Recommended Citation
Casas-Agustench, P., Bach-Faig, A., Conde Maldonado, E., & Marqués-Jiménez, D. (2022) 'Effect of supplementation with leucine alone, with other nutrients or with physical exercise in older people with sarcopenia: a systematic review', Endocrinologia, Diabetes y Nutricion, 69(8), pp. 601-613. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.endinu.2021.10.006
