Pre-sleep Protein Supplementation and Load Carriage Recovery in British Army Recruits

Anglia Ruskin University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Muscle Soreness; Protein-energy; Imbalance

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: Carbohydrate maltodextrin placebo; Dietary Supplement: Moderate protein intake; Dietary Supplement: High protein intake; Other: Control no supplementation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05998603

1076/MODREC/20B

Details and patient eligibility

About

Load carriage is a common military activity and has been shown to induce acute exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and impair muscle function. Protein supplementation can accelerate muscle recovery by attenuating EIMD and muscle function loss. This study investigated the impact of an additional daily bolus of protein prior to sleep throughout training on acute muscle recovery following a load carriage test in British Army recruits. Muscle function (maximal jump height), perceived muscle soreness and urinary markers of muscle damage were assessed before (PRE), immediately post (POST), 24-hours post (24h-POST) and 40-hours post (40h-POST) a load carriage test.

Full description

British Army basic training (BT) is physically demanding with new recruits completing multiple bouts of physical activity each day with limited recovery. Load carriage is one of the most physically demanding BT activities and has been shown to induce acute exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and impair muscle function. Protein supplementation can accelerate muscle recovery by attenuating EIMD and muscle function loss. This study investigated the impact of an additional daily bolus of protein prior to sleep throughout training on acute muscle recovery following a load carriage test in United Kingdom (UK) British Army recruits. A mixed group (men/women) over over 120 new recruits were randomised to dietary control (CON), carbohydrate placebo (PLA), moderate (20g; MOD) or high (60g; HIGH) protein supplementation. Muscle function (maximal jump height), perceived muscle soreness and urinary markers of muscle damage were assessed before (PRE), immediately post (POST), 24-hours post (24h-POST) and 40-hours post (40h-POST) a load carriage test. The underlying aim of this study was to assess whether additional protein intake could attenuate aspects of muscle damage from an acute load carriage test including muscle function, muscle soreness and biomarkers of muscle damage during short term recovery.

Enrollment: 122 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Enrolled into British Army basic training
• Medically fit to train and complete the load carriage test

Exclusion criteria

• Not taking any other nutritional supplement
• Pregnant

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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122 participants in 4 patient groups, including a placebo group

High protein intake supplementation

Experimental group

Description:

A 60g daily dose of whey protein supplementation

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: High protein intake

Moderate protein intake supplementation

Experimental group

Description:

A 20g dose of whey protein supplementation

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Moderate protein intake

Carbohydrate placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

An isocaloic maltodextrin carbohydrate placebo

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Carbohydrate maltodextrin placebo

Control group, no supplementation

Other group

Description:

Control group, not taking any supplementation, only completing basic training activities

Treatment:

Other: Control no supplementation