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Addressing Muscle Mass and Strength Loss During Hospitalization: Insights and Strategies

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 July 2025 | Viewed by 2984

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Internal Medicine, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University (Unesp), Botucatu, Brazil
Interests: malnutrition; nutrition risk assessment; in-hospital patient care; sarcopenia; cachexia
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hospitalization can reduce muscle mass and function, compromising functional capacity and recovery, especially in older people. Individuals who are bedridden due to situations such as stroke, hip fracture, cancer, trauma, critical illness, or any other injury that leads to hospital admission can develop an inflammatory process that can lead to reduced appetite, immobility in bed, insulin resistance, and others that further lead to the poor nutritional status and muscle decline. In these cases, the loss of muscle mass is closely involved with reduced functional capacity, increased length of hospital stays, and mortality. Studies involving supplementation with specific or combined nutrients and physical exercise are being conducted to find ways to mitigate this loss and avoid its complications. Furthermore, research with serum biomarkers of inflammation, muscle degradation, and synthesis is promising in understanding the mechanisms involved in this muscle loss so that more specific and efficient strategies can be applied to hospitalized individuals, both for exacerbated chronic diseases and acute diseases and events. However, there are already gaps in how to effectively reduce the burden of nutritional conditions during in-hospital stays.

This Special Issue aims to publish research that addresses insights and strategies to mitigate muscle mass and strength loss during hospitalization. Your contribution to this Special Issue would be greatly appreciated.

Prof. Dr. Paula Schmidt Azevedo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • in-hospital patient care
  • diet
  • malnutrition
  • nutritional supplements
  • frailty
  • lifestyle interventions
  • physical activity
  • muscle loss
  • muscle mass

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 2886 KiB  
Article
Influence of CReatine Supplementation on mUScle Mass and Strength After Stroke (ICaRUS Stroke Trial): A Randomized Controlled Trial
by Juli T. Souza, Marcos F. Minicucci, Natália C. Ferreira, Bertha F. Polegato, Marina P. Okoshi, Gabriel P. Modolo, Filipe W. Leal-Pereira, Bethan E. Phillips, Philip J. Atherton, Kenneth Smith, Daniel J. Wilkinson, Adam L. Gordon, Suzana E. Tanni, Vladimir E. Costa, Maria F. Fernandes, Silméia G. Bazan, Leonardo M. Zornoff, Sérgio R. Paiva, Rodrigo Bazan and Paula S. Azevedo
Nutrients 2024, 16(23), 4148; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16234148 - 29 Nov 2024
Viewed by 2714
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The acute phase of stroke is marked by inflammation and mobility changes that can compromise nutritional status. This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of creatine supplementation for older people during seven days of hospitalization for stroke compared [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The acute phase of stroke is marked by inflammation and mobility changes that can compromise nutritional status. This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of creatine supplementation for older people during seven days of hospitalization for stroke compared to usual care. Method: The primary outcome measures were changes in functional capacity, strength, muscle mass, and muscle degradation. The secondary outcomes were changes in serum biomarkers related to inflammation, fibrosis, anabolism, and muscle synthesis. In addition, a follow-up 90 days after the stroke verified functional capacity, strength, quality of life, and mortality. Following admission for an acute stroke, participants received either creatine (10 g) or a visually identical placebo (10 g) orally twice daily. Both groups received supplementation with protein to achieve the goal of 1.5 g of protein/kg of body weight/day and underwent daily mobility training during seven days of hospitalization. Results: Thirty older people were included in two similar groups concerning baseline attributes (15—treatment/15—placebo). Conclusions: Creatine supplementation did not influence functional capacity, strength, or muscle mass during the first 7 days or outcomes 90 days after stroke. There were no serious adverse events associated with creatine supplementation. However, it decreased progranulin levels, raising a new possibility of creatine action. This finding needs further exploration to understand the biological significance of creatine–progranulin interaction. Full article
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