Combined resistance exercise and essential amino acid intake enhance follistatin/myostatin ratio and muscle fitness in older women: a randomized controlled trial.
Deokhwa Jeong, Rudy J Valentine, Hyeongmo Jeong et al.
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In 30 seconds
This 12-week randomized controlled trial compared resistance exercise (RE), essential amino acid (EAA) supplementation, their combination, and control in 96 healthy women aged 65 years or older without insulin resistance. The combined RE+EAA group showed greater improvements in muscle mass and senior fitness measures than the other groups, alongside the largest increase in the follistatin/myostatin ratio. That ratio differed significantly from control (p < 0.001) and EAA alone (p < 0.05). The combined intervention also reduced inflammatory markers, including TNF-α, which decreased only in the RE+EAA group.
Key findings
- Muscle mass increased in the RE+EAA group (F(3, 72) = 5.042, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.174).
- The follistatin/myostatin ratio increased most with RE+EAA (F(3, 72) = 5.556, p = 0.002, partial η² = 0.188), versus control (p < 0.001) and EAA (p < 0.05).
- IL-6 and IL-1β decreased with RE and RE+EAA (both p < 0.05); TNF-α decreased only with RE+EAA (p < 0.05).
- Senior fitness test measures improved more in the RE+EAA group, with reported p values ranging from < 0.05 to < 0.001.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that pairing resistance exercise with EAA supplementation may produce broader muscle and fitness benefits than either approach alone in healthy older women. Changes in myokines and inflammatory markers provide additional biological outcomes, but the trial’s results concern a defined population and intervention period; they do not establish prevention of sarcopenia or longer-term functional benefit.
What to keep in mind
The trial lasted 12 weeks and enrolled healthy older women without insulin resistance, limiting conclusions about longer-term outcomes and other populations.