Nutritional composition for improving muscle function and daily activity

1. A method for improving the muscle function of a mammal, comprising administering to said mammal a nutritional composition comprising at least 18 en % of proteinaceous matter having a leucine content of at least 9.5 wt % based on total proteinaceous matter, a lipid fraction comprising at least one ω-3-polyunsaturated fatty acid selected from the group consisting of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said proteinaceous matter comprises whey and at least 12 wt % of leucine, based on total proteinaceous matter.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the muscle function is skeletal muscle function.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein improving skeletal muscle function comprises improving muscle mass dependent loss of muscle function comprising a correction in maximal force, maximal contraction velocity or maximal relaxation velocity of skeletal muscle.

5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein improving skeletal muscle function comprises improving muscle mass independent loss of muscle function comprising a correction in maximal force corrected for muscle mass, maximal contraction velocity corrected for muscle mass or maximal relaxation velocity corrected for muscle mass.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein improving the muscle function is directed at preventing or treating a reduction of muscle function due to, or resulting from aging, disease, disorder, drugs or trauma, preferably drug, disease or disorder.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the disease or disorder is a cancer.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the drug is administered in the framework of a chemotherapy.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the nutritional composition is a liquid, comprising at least 7 g/100 ml of proteinaceous matter.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the proteinaceous matter further comprises at least one protein from a protein source selected from the group consisting of casein, caseinate, soy and wheat.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the proteinaceous matter comprises at least 25 wt % of whey, based on the total proteinaceous matter.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises leucine in the form of a free acid, a salt, a dipeptide or a conjugate with a conjugating compound other than an amino acid, a protein, or a peptide, which conjugate is capable of being split into the free amino acid or salt thereof in the gut or stomach or after absorption in the enterocytes or liver.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises 12 to 23 wt % of leucine, based on total proteinaceous matter.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises carnitine.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises taurine.

16. The method according to any claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises at least 15 wt % of an ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, based on total lipid content.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the lipid fraction comprises less than 30 wt % of a saturated fatty acid, based on total lipid content.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the lipid fraction further comprises at least one ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, and wherein the molar ratio of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids is less than 1.0.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an indigestible carbohydrate, selected from the group consisting of galactooligosaccharides and fructooligosaccharides.

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

a) the proteinaceous matter content provides 18 to 60 en %, said proteinaceous matter comprising whey;

b) the lipid content provides 10 to 50 en %, of the total composition;

c) the digestible carbohydrate content provides 20 to 70 en % of the total composition.

21. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is a liquid nutritional composition having an energetic value in the range of 0.3 to 3.0 kcal/ml.

22. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the nutritional composition is a liquid, having an energetic value in the range of 0.2 to 1.0 kcal/ml.

23. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the nutritional composition is a semi-liquid, gel or solid, having an energetic value in the range of 3.2 to 8.0 kcal/g.

24. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the nutritional composition further comprises at least one component selected from the group consisting of minerals, trace elements and vitamins, preferably selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, chloride, fluoride, iodide, calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin D3, vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, biotin, vitamin C, lipoic acid, zinc, iron, copper, manganese, molybdenum, selenium and chromium.

25. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises improving daily activity, improving physical performance, providing a better prognosis in terms of extended life-expectancy, improving compliance to an anti-cancer therapy or improving a quality of life.

26. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the lipid fraction further comprises at least one ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, and wherein the molar ratio of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids is from 0.5 to 0.97.

27. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the lipid fraction further comprises at least one ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, and wherein the molar ratio of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids is from 0.6 to 0.95.