Age-related muscle loss, often termed “sarcopenia” is a key contributor to frailty particularly in the elderly population. The cause is multi-factorial, but a change in diet and reduced gut function are key contributors. Through similar mechanisms to those described for hepatic encephalopathy, we believe we may be able to improve the gut absorption of protein. This is because, instead of urea being converted to ammonia, it can be cycled into other amino acids. We know that farmers have been employing this tactic for years to increase the yield of their animals!
More research is to be done here, but a promising line of investigation!