Enhanced Protein Intake to Support Muscle Protein Synthesis in ICU

Rationale - Critically ill patients often experience severe skeletal muscle wasting due to an imbalance between muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and degradation, contributing to long-term impairments such as ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) and post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). Effective interventions to mitigate muscle wasting remain a critical unmet need. Protein intake has been identified as a potential modulator of MPS, but anabolic resistance and conflicting evidence regarding optimal protein intake necessitate further investigation.

Objective/Hypothesis - This study aims to evaluate the effect of a normal (target: 0.8 g protein/kg/day) versus elevated (target: 1.3 g protein/kg/day) protein intake on MPS rates over four days in critically ill patients.

Population - 26 critically ill patients who are suitable for enteral nutrition, mechanically ventilated (min 3 days), and stay at the ICU for at least 7 days will be included.

Method: Patients are randomly assigned to two groups (normal or higher protein intake). Muscle biopsies and blood samples will be collected to assess muscle protein synthesis rates.