1. Introduction
muscle mass, HF, skeletal muscle mass, reduction of skeletal muscle mass, increase in skeletal muscle mass, Heart failure, weight loss, HF [Nutritional recommendations
HEART FAILURE, INFLAMMATORY DISEASE
Heart failure (HF) is associated with a reduction of skeletal muscle mass. Whey protein isolate (WPI) has been beneficial in increasing muscle mass and strength, in addition to improving body composition. The goal of this research was to evaluate the effect of WPI on the body composition, muscle mass, and strength of chronic HF patients. For this purpose, twenty-five patients of both genders with predominantly NYHA I functional class and a median age of 65.5 (60.5–71.0) years were used to conduct a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial and received 30 g per day of WPI for 12 weeks. Anthropometric measurements, body composition analysis, and biochemical exams were performed at the beginning and end of the study. An increase in skeletal muscle mass was observed in the intervention group after 12 weeks. A reduction in waist circumference, body fat percentage, and an increase in skeletal muscle index was observed when compared to the placebo group. No significant effect on muscle strength was observed after 12 weeks of intervention. These data demonstrate that WPI consumption contributed to the increase of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and reduction of body fat in HF patients.Heart failure (HF) is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide [Nutritional support in patients with HF should be considered, mainly as a way to prevent progressive weight loss, since restoration of muscle mass may not be achievable [Loss of muscle mass affects a large proportion of patients with HF [Nutritional recommendations for an older adult (>65 years) population propose an increase in daily protein intake (1–1.2 g/kg/day; 1.2–1.5 g/kg/day in case of inflammatory disease), preferably of high-quality protein (i.e., whey protein), containing large amounts of essential amino acids (EAAs) such as leucine. With advancing age, there is resistance to muscle anabolism, so a daily intake of approximately 25–30 g of high-quality protein is recommended in order to maximize muscle protein synthesis (MPS) [Whey protein isolate (WPI) is a high-quality protein that has been shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis compared to other protein sources, is highly digestible, and has a high concentration of leucine, which plays an important role in the stimulation of postprandial MPS [The use of WPI, associated with exercise (especially resistance training), has already been shown to lead to increased muscle protein synthesis and skeletal muscle mass [However, many HF patients are unable to exercise for several reasons, ranging from physical restrictions to limitations in the access to cardiac rehabilitation programs, and the effect of the isolated supplementation of WPI in HF patients without concomitant exercise training, although desirable, is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate whether supplementation with WPI, compared to placebo, promotes changes in body composition, especially muscle mass, as well as skeletal muscle strength, in patients with chronic HF.