Amino acid supplements could positively affect functional status, lean mass, and muscle strength in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). Additional benefits may include reduced inflammation and improved quality of life. These findings emerge from a small, entirely Italian pilot study with encouraging preliminary evidence, published in Nutrients.
Cystic Fibrosis
CF is complex, progressive, and potentially lethal. It is a common genetic disease that leads to a gradual decline in pulmonary function, respiratory failure, and premature death, often accompanied by musculoskeletal complications that affect and damage peripheral and respiratory muscles.
A crucial role appears to be played by inflammatory cytokines, potentially responsible for activating the molecular pathways involved in the imbalance between protein synthesis and catabolism, resulting in the loss of muscle mass and function.
To date, highly effective disease-modifying therapies are still limited, and supportive strategies aimed at slowing the worsening clinical picture are under investigation. Among these, amino acid supplements appear to offer a potential treatment avenue, though the data remain preliminary.
The study
Italian researchers launched a pilot study with a small sample size, involving roughly 60 adults with CF, who had spirometric indices indicating moderate-to-severe disease (FEV1 between 40% and 80%), aged 18 to 65 years, with a mean age of about 33, to evaluate the impact of an integrated amino acid therapy on physical performance, quality of life, and inflammatory indices.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either the amino acid supplementation or a placebo for 4 weeks. Physical function testing and self-assessment questionnaires on quality of life, global health, and sleep status, as well as blood samples to measure pro-inflammatory cytokines, were conducted at baseline and after the treatment period.
Positive results were observed in treated patients: amino acid supplementation appeared to produce a meaningful improvement in perceived physical performance and overall health, particularly regarding inflammatory indicators. Specifically, reductions in serum levels of interleukin-6, a key driver of the initiation and prolongation of the inflammatory cascade, and interleukin-8, another cytokine that promotes inflammation, were noted compared with those who received placebo (p = 0.042).
The data would thus suggest that an integrated approach with this pool of elements could help reduce systemic inflammation and bolster immune defenses, contributing to a more favorable clinical outlook.
Limitations of the study
The current results cannot be considered conclusive, as they were obtained from a small cohort of patients and the exposure to therapy—4 weeks only—was quite brief. Nevertheless, the early evidence suggests that amino acid supplementation could be a valuable ally in the therapeutic management of CF patients, especially in more severe disease forms, encouraging continued efforts to broaden and extend the study.
Source
Petraglia L, Iacotucci P, Ferrillo L et al. Effects of oral amino acid supplementation on physical activity, systemic inflammation, and quality of life in adult patients with cystic fibrosis: a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study. Nutrients 2025, 17(7), 1239. Doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071239
Abbonati a Karla Miller
