Table 5.
Effects of protein supplementation on the change of handgrip strength and functional or physical test performance
| Groups/subgroups | SMD | 95% CI | Number of trials/intervention groups | P‐value | I 2 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handgrip strength – All RCT | 0.15 | −0.03:0.32 | 10/11 | 0.10 | 0 |
| RCT without resistance exercise | 0.20 | −0.17:0.57 | 4/4 | 0.18 | 0 |
| RCT with resistance exercise | 0.10 | −0.18:0.37 | 6/7 | 0.43 | 0 |
| Meta‐regression considering protein ingestion as a continuous variable (g/kg BW/day) a | −0.09 | −1.09:0.91 | 8/8 | 0.84 | ‐ |
| Functional and physical performance tests – All RCT b | 0.15 | 0.00:0.29 | 15/19 | 0.04 | 46.4 |
| RCT without Resistance Exercise | 0.09 | −0.08:0.25 | 5/6 | 0.28 | 0 |
| RCT with Resistance Exercise | 0.17 | −0.03:0.37 | 11/13 | 0.10 | 58 |
| Meta regression – protein ingestion as a continuous variable (g/kg BW/day) in all RCT reporting protein ingestion | −0.23 | −0.99:0.52 | 13/16 | 0.54 | ‐ |
| Meta regression – protein ingestion as a continuous variable (g/kg BW/day) in studies using RE | −0.26 | −1.30:0.77 | 9/10 | 0.61 | ‐ |
BW, body weight; CI, confidence intervals; NA, not applicable; RCT, randomized clinical trials; RE, resistance exercise; SMD, standardized mean deviation.
a
50% of the RCT accessing handgrip strength reporting protein ingestion were conducted in subjects also submitted to RE.
b
One study was conducted in subjects <65 years old.