Written by Chrystal Moulton, Staff Writer. A three -month supplementation with medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) significantly improved muscular strength in elderly participants.
Sarcopenia is the gradual loss of muscular tissue causing loss in muscular strength and function1. Sarcopenia is common part of aging which affects activities of daily life (ADL’s) and independence of elderly individuals 1,2. Proper diet can maintain muscular health but not improve it without increasing dietary intake. Supplementation could help to improve muscular health. However, finding the right combination of nutrients to supplement an already healthy diet is the key 3. In a previous 3-month randomized parallel group trial, participants who were assigned daily supplementation with leucine, vitamin D, and MCTs (LD+MCT) had significant improvement walking speed, 10 second open & close exercise, right hand grip strength, and peak expiratory flow compared to those supplemented with leucine, vitamin D and LCT (LD+LCT) or no supplementation at all 4. Researchers wanted to determine whether the improvement observed in the LD+MCT was due to MCsT. Therefore, in the current study, researchers investigated the effect of MCTs on muscular strength and function in elderly individuals 5.
In a 3 month, single blind, parallel intervention, 64 individual were randomly assigned to receive daily:
- Leucine (1.2g), vitamin D (20 µg as cholecalciferol), and MCTs (6g) (LD + MCT) [positive control]
- Medium chained triglycerides (MCT) only (6g/d) [subject of interest]
- Long chained triglycerides (LCT) only (6g/d) [negative control]
Participants were residents living in a nursing home. Average age of participants was 85.5 ± 6.8yrs old. Dietary intake of all participants was tracked at baseline and through the duration of the study. Change in muscular strength and endurance, walking speed, swallowing and respiratory function, and ADL’s were measured using a 126 point questionnaire (Functional Independence Measure [FIM]) during the trial. Upper body strength was measure by the hand grip test. Lower body strength and endurance was measured by 10s open and close leg exercise and the ability to hold lower legs in a horizontal position while seated upright. Daily activities for the nursing home included morning exercise and afternoon recreation, as well as individualized rehabilitation exercise for 20 minutes twice per week.
At the end, 48 participants completed the trial. Researchers found that participants in the LD + MCT group had a 73.4% increase in the 10s leg open and close test and MCT group had a 48.1% increase in the 10s leg open and close test compared with LCT group [adjusted means- LD+MCT: 2.70 reps/10s, MCT: 2.28 mean reps/10s, compared with LCT -0.59 mean reps/10s, p<0.05]. Furthermore, LD + MCT group and MCT groups, respectively, had a 44.4% and a 27.8% increase in a 30s repetitive saliva swallowing compared with LCT group (p< 0.05). Increase in ADLs (measured using FIM questionnaire) was also observed in both the LD + MCT and MCT groups, respectively compared with LCT group (scores are improvements from baseline- LD+MCT: +6.9 points, 8.9% increase; MCT: +5.6 points, 7.5% increase; LCT: -6.6 points, 8.4% decrease (p<0.05)).
Overall, 3 month daily supplementation with MCT (6g/d) improved ADLs, as well as muscular strength and function in elderly individuals (over 85 years old). Daily combined supplementation of MCT (6g), Leucine (1.2g), and vitamin D (20 µg) also significantly improved muscular strength and function of elderly individuals. Both were well tolerated by participants in this study and could serve as an option for individuals with sarcopenia. More long term studies on a larger population would be needed to verify these results.
Source: Source: Abe, Sakiko, Osamu Ezaki, and Motohisa Suzuki. “Medium-chain triglycerides (8: 0 and 10: 0) are promising nutrients for sarcopenia: a randomized controlled trial.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 110, no. 3 (2019): 652-665.
© American Society for Nutrition 2019.
Posted January 26, 2021.
Chrystal Moulton BA, PMP, is a 2008 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology with a focus on premedical studies and is a licensed project manager. She currently resides in Indianapolis, IN.
References:
- Rosenberg IH. Sarcopenia: origins and clinical relevance. The Journal of nutrition. 1997;127(5):990S-991S.
- Wilkinson DJ, Piasecki M, Atherton PJ. The age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function: Measurement and physiology of muscle fibre atrophy and muscle fibre loss in humans. Ageing Res Rev. 2018;47:123-132.
- Morley JE. Anorexia of aging: physiologic and pathologic. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997;66(4):760-773.
- Abe S, Ezaki O, Suzuki M. Medium-chain triglycerides in combination with leucine and vitamin D increase muscle strength and function in frail elderly adults in a randomized controlled trial. The Journal of nutrition. 2016;146(5):1017-1026.
- Abe S, Ezaki O, Suzuki M. Medium-chain triglycerides (8:0 and 10:0) are promising nutrients for sarcopenia: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;110(3):652-665.
