Short-term ingestion of essential amino acid based nutritional supplements and whey protein improves the physical function of older adults independently of gut microbiome

Dietary proteins and essential amino acids (EAAs) are the major nutritional supplements that supports the growth and activity of gut microbes contributing to the wellbeing of their host. In this study, we hypothesized that daily supplementation of the diet with either EAAs or whey protein for twelve weeks would improve the gut microbiome of older adults. There was no significant difference observed in the gut microbiota of subjects in the EAAs or whey groups over the 12-week study period. It seems plausible that the improved physical performance and reduced inflammation seen in the EAAs group was independent of changes in gut microbiota.