The Effect of the DASH Diet Containing Meat on Muscle and Metabolic Health in Older Adults

The Effect of Meat Intake as a Part of the DASH Diet on Indices of Muscular Fitness, Body Composition and Metabolic Health in Adults 65 and Older: A Controlled-Feeding Systems-Biology Study

Age-related changes in body composition, muscular fitness, and metabolic health resulting in the onset of obesity, sarcopenia, and chronic diseases are profound public health issues that are in need of immediate attention. Effective and feasible methods, such as dietary therapies, are needed to improve health in older adults that in turn lead to independence, enhanced quality of life and reduced hospitalizations. Diet quality and dietary protein intake are vital for maintaining body composition, muscle mass and improved physical performance. Malnutrition in dietary protein intake is a major cause of reduced muscle mass, strength, and function in older adults. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern is a high-quality therapeutic diet known to improve health status in various diverse and at-risk populations resulting in improved heart health, maintained cognitive function and reductions in metabolic diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The primary protein recommendations of the DASH diet are poultry and fish and it is recommended to decrease or exclude red meats from the diet. However, studies have demonstrated that lean red meat incorporated into a DASH-like diet doesn't exacerbate cardiovascular health indices in adults, indicating that lean red meat can be included in the DASH diet without negative effects on heart health. Although studies have reported on the DASH diet in older adults, no studies have investigated the effect of the DASH diet containing lean red meat on measures of body composition, muscle mass or metabolic health under controlled-feeding conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the DASH diet containing daily intakes of lean red meat on indicators of body composition, muscular fitness and biomarkers of metabolic health in adults 65 and older using controlled-feeding and systems biology approaches.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity; Sarcopenia; Aging
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: DASH diet containing daily intakes of red meat

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 46
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • South Dakota
    • Brookings, South Dakota, United States, 57006
      • South Dakota State University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years and older (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 65 and older
• Upward mobile ability

Exclusion Criteria:

• Under the age of 65
• Immobility

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Meat assignment in DASH intervention; Participants consumed 3 ounces of red meat per day as a part of the DASH diet.	Other: DASH diet containing daily intakes of red meat; Each participant was randomized to consume 3 or 6 ounces of red meat as a part of the DASH dietary pattern for 12-weeks.
Experimental: Meat allocation in DASH intervention; Participants consumed 6 ounces of red meat per day as a part of the DASH diet.	Other: DASH diet containing daily intakes of red meat; Each participant was randomized to consume 3 or 6 ounces of red meat as a part of the DASH dietary pattern for 12-weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Body weight	Measured by bioelectrical impedance	Change in body weight from baseline to 3 months
Hand grip strength	Measured by a hand-held dynamometer	Change in strength from baseline to 3 months
Glucose	Measure serum glucose using colorimetry assay	Change in glucose concentrations from baseline to 3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: South Dakota State University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Cydne A Perry, PhD, South Dakota State University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Perry CA, Van Guilder GP, Butterick TA. Decreased myostatin in response to a controlled DASH diet is associated with improved body composition and cardiometabolic biomarkers in older adults: results from a controlled-feeding diet intervention study. BMC Nutr. 2022 Mar 15;8(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s40795-022-00516-9.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 15, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 10, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): November 10, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 10, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 11, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): October 15, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 15, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 11, 2019
• Last Verified: October 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Muscular Atrophy; Atrophy; Sarcopenia
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1712006

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No