Whey Protein, Leucine- and Vitamin-D-Enriched Oral Nutritional Supplementation for the Treatment of Sarcopenia
Cereda E, Pisati R, Rondanelli M, Caccialanza R. 2022 Apr 6;14(7):1524. doi: 10.3390/nu14071524. PMID: 35406137; PMCID: PMC9003251.
Sarcopenia has been recognized as a muscle disease, with adverse consequences on health. Updated recommendations, aimed at increasing awareness of sarcopenia and its accompanying risks, have been produced to urge the early detection and treatment of this disease. Recommended treatment is based on an individually tailored resistance exercise training program, the optimization of protein intake using high-quality protein sources (i.e., whey protein) in order to provide a high amount of essential amino acids—particularly leucine—and addressing vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency. The purpose of this review is to collate and describe all of the relevant efficacy studies carried out with a muscle-targeted oral nutritional supplementation (MT-ONS)—namely a whey-protein-based, leucine- and vitamin D-enriched formula aimed at optimizing their intake and satisfying their requirements—in different patient populations and clinical settings in order to determine if there is enough evidence to recommend prescription for the treatment of sarcopenia or its prevention in high-risk patient populations.