Work package 4

led by University college dublin (UCD), ireland

WP4: A randomised controlled trial (RCT) to prevent undernutrition in older adults with a poor appetite and at high risk of undernutrition

The objective of this work package was to establish and coordinate a trans-European (Ireland, Germany, France, & Italy) clinical intervention trial. The trial aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of developed innovative plant based protein and fibre products (developed in WP2) integrated into a personalised diet with or without a physical activity intervention on appetite and incidence of undernutrition in older persons from with a poor appetite.

We looked at whether a personalised nutrition program combined with an exercise program, adapted to the ability of individual older adults, can have a beneficial influence on appetite, dietary protein intake, and reduce the incidence of undernutrition. The trial involved the recruitment of 240 community-dwelling older adults (60 participants at each of the four research sites), where they were randomly assigned to one of four groups, namely:

1.     Personalised diet plus physical activity program (PD + PA)

2.     Usual diet plus physical activity (PA)

3.     Personalised diet and no physical activity (PD)

4.     Control (usual diet, no PA).

The clinical trial itself was 12 weeks in duration, while the overall time commitment of participants required 14 -16 weeks to facilitate relevant pre and post intervention testing, and appetite test meal session.

Work package 4 aimed to establish whether our newly developed innovative plant-based protein and fibre products, in combination with structures physical activity is an effective strategy to increase appetite, reduce age related lose in muscle mass and reduce incidence of undernutrition in older adults.