Mechanisms to Reduce Mental and Physical Fatigue Following Exercise Training in Older Adults (BCAA)

The University of Texas System (UT)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Aging; Fatigue

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: BCAA

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05484661

20220493H

Details and patient eligibility

About

Fatigue is a strong predictor of negative health outcomes in older adults. The research in this study will compared the effects of 8-weeks of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs: dietary supplements commonly taken to improve muscle growth and exercise performance) added to exercise on fatigue compared to exercise with a placebo (an inactive, harmless substance). BCAAs could have an impact on improving fatigue common in older adults, especially when exercising.

Full description

Thirty participants will be asked to participate in this research study. They will be randomized (like a flip of a coin) to exercise + a placebo or exercise + BCAAs for 8 weeks. We would like to examine the effects of the 8-week exercise + dietary supplement program on body composition (fat and muscle), physical activity habits, fatigue, and physical performance (such as walking and strength). We would also like to assess whether these outcomes are controlled by changes in markers (kynurenine metabolites) in the skeletal muscle and blood.

Enrollment: 20 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Fatigue (participants reporting ≥3 on a 1-10 scale)
• Lack of menses for at least one year for women
• BMI 20-50 kg/m2
• Untrained with regard to structured exercise training (is not currently training more than 2x/week)

Exclusion criteria

• Taking an anticoagulant medication that is unable to be discontinued before biopsies
• Allergic to lidocaine
• Neurologic, musculoskeletal, or other condition that limits subject's ability to complete study physical assessments or training
• Hepatic (LFTs >2.5xWNL), renal (eGFR<45), , and uncontrolled psychiatric disease
• Cognitive impairment
• Uncontrolled depression
• Any disease or condition considered to be exclusionary based on the clinical opinion and discretion of the principal investigator

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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20 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Exercise + BCAA

Experimental group

Description:

Exercise will include a 3x/wk for eight weeks exercise protocol is designed to provide a high-volume, moderate-intensity whole body training stimulus. BCAA will include \~7-10 g of BCAAs (100 mg/kg) daily for eight weeks.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: BCAA

Exercise + Placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Exercise will include a 3x/wk for eight weeks exercise protocol is designed to provide a high-volume, moderate-intensity whole body training stimulus. Placebo will include \~7-10 g of maltodextrin (100 mg/kg) daily for eight weeks.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: BCAA