Use of Branched Chain Amino Acid (Bcaa) Supplements for Chronic Stroke Patients to Performance among Improve the Functional Performance

Although the majority of the stroke survivor achieved independent walking one year after the stroke, most of them sustain difficulty on walking and need helps to some extents. The decreased mobility capacity is accompanied by the increased fall risks and reduced amount of activities, which finally increase the risk of secondary problems such as sarcopenia or cardiovascular problems. Therefore, health promotion through exercise and diet control is an essential issue for this population.Various protein supplements (PS) combined with exercise training have been tried in healthy older people and current evidence supported its effectiveness. Compared with those who received exercise only, subjects who received combined PS and exercise interventions gained more muscle mass and muscle power. The effects of exercise added by protein supplement is yet unknown for stroke population. Therefore, we plan to conduct this multicenter, double-blinded randomized controlled trial to explore the beneficial effects of this intervention. In this study, we use the branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplement, a sort of commercial product of protein supplement. We will recruited participants from the rehabilitation department of two teaching hospitals. The subjects are those who are receiving outpatient rehabilitation for chronic stroke (ie, > 6 months) and able to walk independently with or without orthosis. Eligible participants are randomized with a 1:1 ratio into the experiment or control groups. Both groups receive a 40-min stationary cycling training, 3 session a week, for 8 weeks. The experiment group intakes branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplement immediately before and after the exercise training while the control group intakes the placebo. Both the activities and diet will be controlled during an 8-week intervention period.Study purpose:This study investigates the benefits of the aerobic exercise added by BCAA with a control group that receives aerobic exercise only. We evaluate the potential superiority in terms of the gaining of lean body mass, functional performance, motor functions, and quality of life. The connection between the leg lean mass changes and the initial hemiplegia severity will be explored. We also try to identify the characteristics of responders.Study importance:Stroke continues to be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the world, which causes huge socioeconomic burdens. There are around 30000 new stroke cases in Taiwan. Many of them sustain physical disabilities and are vulnerable to secondary health problems. Health promotion for stroke population is thus an essential issue for public health. The effects of exercise intervention for health promotion in stroke population has been well established but the combining of diet and exercise interventions is less addressed and worthy exploring. We will test an intervention of exercise training added by BCAA. If the model is proven to be effective, we can apply it to other populations with physical disabilities to promote health for more people.