EFFECTS OF PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTATION ON CARDIORESPIRATORY, METABOLIC, IMMUNOLOGICAL, RENAL VARIABLES AND BODY COMPOSITION IN THE ELDERLY

Abstract

The aging process is associated with impairments in strength, lean mass (LM), cardiovascular health
(CH), and cardiorespiratory health (CRH), due to metabolic, hemodynamic, and body composition
changes in the elderly. The implications of these changes within the aging process can have their effects
mitigated through nutritional intervention. To test this hypothesis, a randomized clinical trial was
determined to be conducted at the Evangelical University of Goiás (UniEVANGÉLICA), where elderly
volunteers (60 to 85 years old) will be randomized (n = 40/group) into groups (1) Control (no protein
supplementation), group (2) Supplementation (only protein supplementation). The supplementation
protocol will be carried out for 3 months, and the evaluations will take place before the start of the
protocol and after 3 months. Numerous cardiovascular, pulmonary, immunological, renal, muscular, and
hematological parameters will be evaluated. The analyses will be expressed as mean and standard
deviation. A significance level of p≤0.05 will be adopted for comparisons made in the paired T-test and
for multiparametric analyses. It is expected that the effects of the protein supplementation protocol will
significantly improve the parameters described above, bringing positive results for the elderly volunteers
in the study.