High Protein Intake and Early Exercise in Adult Intensive Care Patients

Patients in the HPE group will be submitted to nutritional support preferably through the enteral route. Energy expenditure will be determined by indirect calorimetry. They will receive 2.0 to 2.2 grams/kg/day of protein.

Patients will be submitted to two daily sessions of exercise (cycle ergometry) 15 minutes duration each, during the 7 days of the week. The intervention will be maintained exclusively duting the patient's stay in the ICU. The cycle ergometer will be the MotoMed Letto II (Reck Technik, Germany).

Participants randomized to the usual care group will receive usual care protein and exercise.