Effect and feasibility of the combination of branched chain amino acid and exercise therapy on muscle mass and echo intensity of muscle in orthopedic patients in a convalescent rehabilitation hospital: A crossover trial

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study examined the feasibility of nutritional support combined with exercise intervention for restoring muscle and physical functions in convalescent orthopedic patients. METHODS: We used a crossover design in which nutritional support combined with exercise intervention was administered daily during the early (1 month) and late (1 month) cycles with a 1‐week washout period. The exercise intervention was performed twice daily for 2 months in the early and late groups. The exercise intervention consisted of one set of muscle strength, stretching, and physical activity exercises for 20 min each. Nutritional interventions were administered immediately after the exercise. A 3.4 g of branched‐chain amino acid supplements (BCAAs) or 1.2 g of starch was ingested. We measured the skeletal muscle mass and isometric muscle strength of the limbs and performed balance tests. After the crossover, the BCAA and Placebo groups were compared. RESULTS: The ratio of improvement in the echo intensity of the rectus femoris (RF) was significantly higher in the BCAA group. A comparison of the order of nutritional intervention showed a significant effect on the RF echo intensity in both groups only when BCAAs were administered. CONCLUSION: This study's results suggest that the proposed combined intervention improves muscle quality and mass in convalescent orthopedic patients.