Nutritional Supplementation in Sarcopenic Obesity

The obese patient presents a quantitative and qualitative deficit of muscle mass as occurs in the elderly subject that was named Sarcopenic Obesity (SO). The use of a diet that includes protein supplements and / or essential amino acids seems to improve this condition in the elderly; there are no similar studies in obese subjects, in particular during a low-calorie diet and physical activity program that can produce further loss of muscle mass. This study aims to verify whether the administration of these supplements (protein or amino acid) in the obese patient are effective in improving anthropometric and functional parameters and some serum markers of muscle metabolism. The results obtained could represent new therapeutic protocols in the treatment of obesity.