Essential Amino Acids Supplementation and Muscle Protein Synthesis

United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2; Phase 1

Conditions: Muscle Anabolism; Muscle Loss

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: Essential Amino Acids; Other: Endurance exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT01366924

7906 Tufts

H06-04

Details and patient eligibility

About

The modern warfighter faces numerous physiological challenges including sleep deprivation, sustained intense physical activity, and caloric restriction, the combined effects of which may result in the loss of lean body mass and decreased physical performance. Dietary interventions may help preserve lean body mass and facilitate recovery from periods of intense physical demand. For example, dietary strategies that increase amino acid availability have been shown to stimulate protein synthesis in skeletal muscle following resistance exercise. Because military tasks also incorporate endurance exercise components, studies regarding the effects of increasing dietary amino acids following endurance exercise are warranted. The objectives of this study are to characterize the effect of endurance exercise on protein synthesis and breakdown as well as the ability of an essential amino acid supplement to influence skeletal muscle protein metabolism and its cellular and molecular regulation following endurance exercise.

Enrollment: 23 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Men and women aged 18 - 35 years
• Weight stable
• Recreationally active with VO2max of 40 - 50 ml/kg/min
• Refrain from taking any NSAIDS or any aspirin-containing medications
• Supervisor approval if a federal employee

Exclusion criteria

• Disease or medication that affects macronutrient metabolism and/or the ability to participate in strenuous exercise
• Allergies to foods or medications (including, but not limited to, lidocaine or phenylalanine) to be utilized in the study
• Abnormal PT/PTT test or problems with blood clotting
• Present condition of alcoholism or other substance abuse that compromises exercise capacity
• Musculoskeletal injuries that compromise the ability to exercise
• Pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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23 participants in 4 patient groups

Muscle protein turnover and intracellular signaling at rest

No Intervention group

Description:

Muscle protein turnover and intracellular signaling are measured at rest for comparison to post-exercise muscle metabolism.

Muscle metabolism after endurance exercise

Active Comparator group

Description:

Post-exercise muscle protein metabolism was measured to determine if endurance exercise affects muscle metabolism compared to rest.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Essential Amino Acids

Other: Endurance exercise

Muscle Metabolism after endurance exercise

Experimental group

Description:

Muscle metabolism response to endurance exercise with essential amino acid supplementation

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Essential Amino Acids

Muscle anabolism after endurance exercise

Experimental group

Description:

Muscle anabolism after endurance exercise with essential amino acid supplementation.

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Essential Amino Acids