Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Millions of Canadians spend extended periods of time in bed each year because they are sick, hurt, or need to recover from surgery. During these inactive periods, people can lose muscle quickly, which can make them weak, less mobile, and more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Research has shown that muscle is lost during inactivity because the processes that create new muscle proteins occur at slower rates than the processes that break down muscle proteins. If approaches can be developed to correct this imbalance, the loss of muscle during bedrest may be preventable. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish, and essential amino acids, found in high-quality protein sources, have been shown to slow the rate of muscle loss during times when people are inactive. Each nutritional compound seems to prevent the reduction in new protein production that occurs during inactivity, but in seemingly different ways, which means that their combination into a single supplement may have a larger positive effect than either alone. Therefore, the purpose of our project is to study whether adding omega-3 fatty acids and essential amino acids to a regular diet can prevent the loss of muscle that occurs during a short-term period of bedrest. The number of Canadians undergoing periods of bedrest is expected to increase as the pandemic-related backlog in voluntary surgeries is cleared. If effective, our strategy could be added to a pre-surgery nutritional plan to help prevent the loss of muscle and associated complications that occurs during bedrest, potentially speeding up recovery and saving millions of dollars in healthcare spending.