Study highlights benefits of protein drink for boys

A recent clinical study found a positive effect of a nutritional supplement on growth and body composition in short and lean preadolescent boys aged 10 years old and up. The text material, a new protein drink powder, demonstrated positive benefits for growth and development in boys 10 and older, according to a new clinical study published in the medical journal Acta Paediatrica . The research is focused on “Grow Daily Boys 10+”, a nutrition supplement developed by Nutritional Growth Solutions. The study The 12-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 160 lean and short boys, and was carried out by the Institute for Endocrinology of the Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel and two other co-research centers in Israel. The intervention included two stages: Stage 1 (months 0-6), a double-blinded intervention with nutritional formula or placebo (1:1) and Stage 2 (months 6-12), an open-label extension with the nutritional formula for all the participants. Findings The research found that pre-teen and teen boys who used the formula gained more fat-free mass and muscle mass. “Intervention with a multi-nutrient, protein-rich formula was effective at increasing weight and body mass index (BMI), mostly from fat-free-mass and muscle mass, in short and lean prepubertal male adolescents,” explained lead researcher Michal Yackobovitch-Gavan, PhD, a dietitian and researcher at Schneider Children’s Medical Center. “It also prevented the expected slowdown in height growth in children older than 11.4 years. This is a key trial that evaluated the importance of nutrition for pre-adolescents and is certain to inspire more research.” Lack of research There is little data on nutritional interventions for lean, healthy children with short stature living in developed countries. The authors aimed to get a better picture of how to go about establishing improved growth through nutritional interventions in later stages of childhood or adolescence. The new nutritional supplementation powder formula contains about 25% of the recommended dietary reference intake for calories (the total daily amount was based on target nutritional needs for weight and height in the 50th percentile for age and gender, and low activity level), 18g of whey protein, as well as added vitamins and minerals. The placebo consisted of a powder that was relatively low in energy and protein, and without added vitamins and minerals. Implications The research suggests that consumers of Grow Daily Boys 10+ gained more weight, BMI, fat-free mass, and muscle mass versus the placebo group. Positive dose-response correlations were found between consumption of the formula and changes in the outcome parameters examined, including height. “Children who consumed at least half of the recommended doses of the nutritional supplement formula improved their intake of the macro- and micronutrients—including protein, calcium, zinc and iron—that are vital to growth,” noted Yackobovitch-Gavan. Filling the gaps Grow Daily Boys 10+ protein drink contains essential micronutrients, such as calcium and iron, with high protein for normal growth in pre-teens. “Grow Daily Boys 10+ ticks all the right boxes when it comes to growth and development of pre-adolescents,” said Liron Fendell, CEO and managing director of NGS. “It was developed and tested by pediatricians, and clinically shown to help pre-teens and teens increase muscle mass. School lunch and fast food are part of our kids’ menu, so it is important to balance their diet and fill the gap with vital nutrients.” Christian Piencka, Director of Marketing at NGS, told NutraIngredients-USA that there are plans for a formula like Grow Daily Boys 10+ for pre-teen girls, as well as a future sports formula. “We are still in the early stages of development and clinical studies for these products,” Piencka added. Source: Acta Paediatrica 04 August 2021 doi.org/10.1111/apa.16054 “Effect of a nutritional supplementation on growth and body composition in short and lean preadolescent boys: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study” Authors: N. Shvalb et al.