Effect of Non-essential Amino Acids on Protein Requirements for Endurance Athletes (EA3)

University of Toronto

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy; Increased Metabolic Requirement

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: large amount of essential amino acids; Dietary Supplement: BCAA-enriched egg protein; Dietary Supplement: small amount of essential amino acids; Dietary Supplement: BASE egg protein

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Industry

Identifiers

NCT02874638

IAAO-EA3

Details and patient eligibility

About

Protein requirements in individuals who participate in endurance-based exercise training have been suggested to be greater than the current recommended dietary allowance (RDA).

The biological value of protein depends on its amino acid composition. Essential amino acids are believed to have main role on whole body protein metabolism. However, it remains to be determined what role non-essential amino acids (NEAA) may have in regulating protein metabolism and contributing to the increased protein requirements after endurance exercise.

The indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) method has clarified the individual amino acid requirement in children, normal healthy adult and clinical populations. However, the IAAO method has never been utilized for assessing the effect of NEAA on protein requirements after endurance exercise.

The objective of the current study is to investigate the importance of NEAA for endurance-trained male subjects.

Enrollment: 7 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 40 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• endurance-trained participants who regularly run more than 40 km/week
• Participants who are categorized at least "very good" based on a study by Shvartz & Reibold, in which VO2peak is used as an index. (i.e. the participants whose VO2peak is ≥57 ml/kg/min (18-24 y), ≥54 ml/kg/min (25-29 y), ≥52 ml/kg/min (30-34 y), ≥49 ml/kg/min (35-39 y)
• Ability to complete the 16-km familiarization run in session 2

Exclusion criteria

• Inability to meet health and physical activity guidelines according to the physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q+)
• Inability to adhere to any of the protocol guidelines (i.e. alcohol, caffeine consumption)
• Regular tobacco use
• Illicit drug use

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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7 participants in 4 patient groups

BASE egg protein

Experimental group

Description:

0.8 g/kg/d of BASE protein provided as crystalline amino acid made after egg protein.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: BASE egg protein

BCAA-enriched egg protein

Experimental group

Description:

branched-chain amino acid-enriched egg protein

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: BCAA-enriched egg protein

small amount of essential amino acids

Experimental group

Description:

small amount of essential amino acids made after egg protein, which is equivalent to the amount of essential amino acids in BASE

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: small amount of essential amino acids

large amount of essential amino acids

Experimental group

Description:

large amount of essential amino acids made after egg protein, which is equivalent to the amount of amino acids in BCAA

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: large amount of essential amino acids