Sarcopenia is an age-related syndrome marked by progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, which contributes to frailty and other adverse health outcomes in older adults. Although arginine and fish oil supplementation individually show potential benefits for muscle preservation, their combined effect has not been well studied. This 12-week randomized clinical trial (December 2023-October 2024) evaluated the effects of combined arginine (14 g/day) and fish oil (6 g/day) supplementation in 29 older adults with sarcopenia compared with placebo. Primary outcomes included handgrip strength, gait speed, five-time chair stand test, and skeletal muscle index, while secondary outcomes included inflammatory markers, nutritional status, lipid profile, frailty, physical activity, and sleep quality. Results showed a significant improvement in gait speed and grip strength in the supplementation group compared with placebo. Inflammatory markers also improved, with reduced IL-6 in the intervention group and increased TNF-α in the placebo group. Participants receiving arginine and fish oil additionally showed improvements in physical activity and frailty scores. Overall, combined arginine and fish oil supplementation may enhance muscle function and reduce systemic inflammation in older adults with sarcopenia, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach for managing this condition.
Source : https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2026.1763219/full
