OBJECTIVES: This systematic review was conducted to explore whether nutritional supplement can improve the benefits of exercise intervention on sarcopenia in the elderly. METHODS: Databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL, CBM, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP, were searched. All related papers with randomized controlled trials (RCT) methodology that were included in the databases from inception to 19 July 2016 were selected for the study. The tool "assessing risk of bias" from Cochrane Handbook 5.10 was used to evaluate the quality of included papers. A meta-analysis of eligible studies was performed using Stata 12.0. Data that we were unable to convene or merge were subjected to descriptive analysis. RESULTS: Six trials were included in our study, which included 429 elderly patients with sarcopenia. The overall methodological quality of the trials was moderate. Compared with the exercise group, patients who were given nutritional supplements gained a bigger boost in fat-free mass (standard mean difference (SMD) 5.78, 95% CI 5.17 to 6.40, p = 0.000) and muscle mass (SMD 2.048, 95% CI 0.907 to 3.189, p = 0.000), as well as showed enhancement of keen extension strength (SMD 1.08, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.45, p = 0.000) and usual walk speed (SMD 0.570, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.95, p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Nutritional supplementation may magnify the effect of exercise intervention on sarcopenia elderly in terms of muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance. Inconsistencies were present among research studies. More robust studies are needed to determine the most suitable type of nutrient and target population and to explore the actual role of combined intervention in managing sarcopenia in the elderly.

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