A method for reducing muscle atrophy in an individual undergoing orthopedic surgery, the method comprising administering to said individual a mixture of protein and non-protein nutrients for 4-7 days pre-surgery and for 10-21 days post-surgery. The protein dosage is 15-30 g, of which 17-25% is leucine, 23-35% is 1-glutamine, 10-15% is 1-arginine and 1-2% is cysteine. The protein nutrients are derived from a combination of commercially available proteins and the appropriate free amino acid. The non-protein nutrients are a mono or disaccharide in the amount of 15-30%, N-acetyl-cysteine in the amount of 1-15% and the antioxidant Vitamin C.
