Bed rest has been used to facilitate recuperation from illness or injury for centuries. In the modern era, however, it has become apparent that bed rest can produce unwanted side effects—namely, significant muscle loss. Despite the downside of bed rest, it remains a common feature in many health care settings.

Older adults are both particularly likely to be prescribed bed rest and particularly susceptible to the detrimental side effects of bed rest, which include changes to muscle protein synthesis and muscle fiber function as well as insulin resistance and increased fat within muscle cells. Stress aggravates the negative impact of bed rest.

When bed rest is, in fact, necessary, the best way to minimize muscle loss is to increase protein intake. Doing so through diet alone tends to be impractical, though. In a majority of cases, essential amino acids prove to be a better alternative. My own research as well as studies carried out by other experts show that essential amino acids can stimulate muscle protein synthesis and lessen the loss of lean body mass and muscle strength during bed rest. LEARN MORE