Increased Protein Amount as a Nutritional Strategy to Enhance Muscle Protein Synthesis in ICU Patients

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating the impact of protein intake on muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in critically ill patients. These patients often experience rapid muscle loss, leading to long-term weakness and complications such as ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) and post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). The study focuses on whether normal protein intake versus elevated protein intake can improve muscle protein synthesis rates during critical illness, aiming to find better nutritional strategies to reduce muscle wasting. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups receiving enteral nutrition with different protein targets: a normal protein intake group aiming for 0.8 g protein/kg/day and an elevated protein intake group aiming for 1.3 g protein/kg/day. Both groups will receive nutritionally complete tube feeds formulated to meet these protein targets. The intervention period lasts four days, during which muscle biopsies and blood samples will be collected to assess muscle protein synthesis and muscle characteristics. During the study, patients will be monitored closely in the ICU, with muscle biopsies and blood tests performed to measure muscle protein synthesis rates and muscle health indicators such as muscle fiber size and mitochondrial function. Researchers will evaluate the primary outcome of myofibrillar protein fractional synthetic rate over 1 to 4 days. Secondary measures include mixed muscle protein synthesis, plasma amino acid levels, muscle fiber types and size, myonuclei quantity, and mitochondrial respiration. The study aims to improve knowledge on protein needs in critical illness over a typical ICU stay of at least seven days, with participants requiring mechanical ventilation for a minimum of three days.

Enhanced Protein Intake to Support Muscle Protein Synthesis in ICU