Use of Eggs to Tackle Sarcopenia in Care Home Residents
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The use of eggs, combined with resistance exercise training, to tackle sarcopenia in care home residents (EGRET study)- a feasibility study.
IRAS ID
267028
Contact name
Kathryn Hart
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Surrey
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Sarcopenia is when the muscles decrease in size and strength with age making it harder to do physical activities. This impacts on quality of life and wellbeing and is associated with ageing. Increasing the amount of protein to 25-30g per-meal can overcome this imbalance and combining this with muscle exercises (strength training) may have an even better effect. Older care home residents are particularly at risk of muscle weakness but can be tricky to involve in research. This study will address this by trialling a menu change (focusing on eggs and other high protein foods to increase overall protein intake) with or without a tailored exercise programme in care home residents. We will conduct a feasibility trial to see if people are willing to take part (residents and carers) and to have their measurements taken, whether they can stick to the intervention and what they think about the menu and the exercises. Two matched care homes will be invited to take part – one as a control home (usual menu continues) and one as an intervention home (new menu + some residents randomised (like tossing a coin) to take part in the exercises too). We will invite all suitable residents in the two homes to take part, but participation is voluntary. Staff will also be invited to i) help run the study by helping us identify who is suitable and ii) help evaluate the trial at the end. Measurements will be taken and information collected from participants at 0 and 12 weeks, primarily looking at muscle function, wellbeing and food intake. We will also ask participants what they think about all aspects of the study and any positive or negative effects of taking part. Information on the time and costs required to run the study will be collated.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/EE/0055
Date of REC Opinion
16 Mar 2020
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion