Dietary nitrate supplementation is useful to improve respiratory muscle dysfunction in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic among the elderly, reports a new study.
![Nitrate Supplementation Aids Elderly in Breathing and Lung Clearance
Nitrate Supplementation Aids Elderly in Breathing and Lung Clearance](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/respiratory-system.jpg)
‘Dietary nitrate improves respiratory muscle dysfunction that contributes to shortness of breath and morbidity in the elderly.
’
![pinterest](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/pinterest.png)
The research team at the University of Florida found that dietary nitrate supplementation elicited a pronounced increase in contractile function (power) of the diaphragm, a respiratory muscle, of old mice.![twitter](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/twitter.png)
![facebook](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/facebook.png)
![whatsapp](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/whatsapp.png)
![linkedin](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/linkedin.png)
![pinterest](https://images.medindia.net/icons/news/social/pinterest.png)
They made their measurements during maximal activation, so the effects observed seem to be caused by an improvement in the function of contractile proteins rather than calcium handling.
Few short-term interventions have such a profound impact on muscle contractile function, as was observed in this study.
Dietary nitrate is readily available for humans and could be used, under proper supervision, to improve respiratory muscle dysfunction that contributes to shortness of breath and morbidity in the elderly.
The researchers gave sodium nitrate to old mice in their drinking water daily for 14 days. The control group received regular water. Diaphragm muscle contractile function cannot be assessed directly in live animals or humans. Thus, they tested diaphragm function in muscle tissues under controlled conditions for muscle stimulation and oxygenation.
Advertisement
Dietary nitrate seems to exert a greater impact on the contractile function of fast muscle cells. Thus, the benefits to the human diaphragm may not as pronounced as were observed in mice. They also only tested male mice, and the benefits for females is unknown.
Advertisement
"Our findings are especially important in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic as they suggest that, if replicated in humans, dietary nitrate is useful to improve respiratory muscle dysfunction that contributes to difficulty in weaning patients from mechanical ventilation."
Source-Eurekalert