Whole Body Electromyostimulation and Nutritional Therapy for Patients With Chronic Liver Disease

The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of an innovative combined therapy involving optimized protein-rich nutritional therapy and highly effective muscle training by personalized whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) exercise to improve muscle mass, strength and functionality, physical capacity, fatigue and quality of life of patients with chronic liver disease.

In the course of chronic liver disease a systemic inflammatory reaction promotes mediators leading to a loss of appetite, as well as to metabolic and hormonal changes. Consequences hereof are a decreased food uptake, a deteriorated nutrient utilization and a loss of muscles, with or without fat loss leading to cachexia. Especially muscle loss has a relevant influence on morbidity and mortality of chronic liver patients. The loss of muscle is probably due to a deteriorated protein synthesis with concurrent anabolic resistance. These pathologic processes increase the protein requirements of chronic liver patients dramatically. The purpose of this study is to establish an innovative combined therapy involving optimized nutritional therapy and highly effective muscle training by personalized whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) exercise to improve the quality of life (QLQ) of patients with serious chronic disease. An improvement of QLQ results from an increase in muscle mass and strength, thereby increasing physical activity, physical capability as well as tolerance to and applicability of therapy. In the course of a 3-months intervention study the efficacy of a combined German-guidelines-recommended protein-rich nutritional therapy with an innovative exercise therapy will be documented for patients with chronic liver disease. An effective stopping of the progress of muscle wasting or even increase of muscle mass, strength and function in the patients of the trial would benefit each patient and his family individually, since it could mean a considerable improvement in his QLQ and tolerability of therapeutical treatment.