Scientists have found nutritional supplements can stop the muscle wastage associated with extended periods of physical inactivity. The loss of muscle strength can be a problem, for instance, for people confined to a hospital bed. A University of Texas team were able to check the process by giving volunteers drinks containing essential amino acids and carbohydrates.

The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism [2]. During the study 13 healthy male volunteers were confined to beds for a 28-day period. Seven volunteers received the nutritional drinks three times each day, while six others were given a placebo with no nutritional value. Using state-of-the-art methods to measure muscle volume and strength, the researchers found that the volunteers given the nutritional drinks retained all of their original leg muscle mass. The members of the placebo group lost about a pound of leg muscle on average.

What’s more, those given the supplements lost only about half as much leg strength as those given the placebo. “We thought it was the most astounding thing that even though our subjects did no exercise, they were able to maintain muscle mass,” says lead researcher Dr Douglas Paddon-Jones

The researchers believe a similar supplement regime could be of particular help for elderly people who face long stays in hospital, and for patients with severe trauma, who have a diminished ability to make new muscle tissue. It may also reduce muscle loss in astronauts on long-duration space flights. “The elderly have less muscle to spare than the rest of us,” says Dr Paddon-Jones. “When they get sick or injured and wind up in a hospital bed for a prolonged period, many of them lose so much muscle mass and strength that they don’t get back up.

These findings confirm previous research showing that essential amino acids play a vital role in triggering the muscle growth process. Of course, you’re not going to gain muscle just by taking essential amino acids and lying in bed… you’ll get the best results by combining a weight-training programme with a diet that’s rich in essential amino acids.

Most sources of animal protein (such as beef, milk and eggs) are rich in essential amino acids. But the best source is a high-quality whey, such as Promax by Maximuscle. Promax is perfect for use before and after exercise. Why? Scientific studies show that protein taken at these times stimulates muscle growth more quickly than at any other time [1]. Because of their slow digestion, proteins such as casein, egg or beef are not really suitable for use before or after exercise.

References
1. Tipton, K.D., Rasmussen, B.B., Miller, S.L., Wolf, S.E., Owens-Stovall, S.K., Petrini, B.E., & Wolfe, R.R. (2001). Timing of amino acid-carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise. American Journal of Physiology, 281, E197-E206
2. Paddon-Jones D, Sheffield-Moore M, Urban RJ, Sanford AP, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR, Ferrando AA. (2004). Essential amino acid and carbohydrate supplementation ameliorates muscle protein loss in humans during 28 days bedrest. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 89, 4351-4358