RibOSE - Glucose and Resistance Exercise Training

Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Dietary Supplement: Glucose

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04545190

Trainome#024_2020

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of ingesting glucose during five bouts of resistance exercise on muscle biological charateristics in m. vastus lateralis of moderately trained healthy individuals (20-45 years of age, n=20)

Full description

Muscular responses to resistance training vary extensively between humans, with many showing impaired growth. In such individuals, cellular plasticity is compromised, leading to reduced functional and health-beneficial outcomes of training. While this is likely due to a range of determinants, including epigenetic, genetic and physiological variables, recent studies suggest that it involves reduced ability to produce novel ribosomes in response to training. This eventually leads to less pronounced increases in protein synthesis, and thus decreased growth rates, and makes ribosomal content in muscle a potential proxy marker for training-associated muscle hypertrophy.

In a recent study, the investigators showed that increased resistance training volume was associated with more pronounced muscle growth, a trait that was associated with increased ribosomal biogenesis. Despite this, ~50 % of the participants did not exhibit true beneficial effects of increased training volume, which in turn coincided with reduced abilities to accumulate ribosomes. In such individuals, other means are likely necessary to circumvent the negative influence of genetic and epigenetic predispositions on muscle plasticity. Nutrient supplementation stand out as a potential therapy. However, at present, knowledge with regard to this perspective is limited to a selected few nutrients, with protein ingestion being the best studied potential adjuvant, for which adequate intake seems to be essential for achieving optimal muscle growth, potentially being interconnected with ribosomal synthesis. For other nutrients, such as glucose, little is know about their importance for muscle plasticity and ribosomal biogenesis.

In cell types such as cultivated kidney cells, exposure to high levels of glucose is an efficient mean to increase ribosomal biogenesis (and growth rates). This suggests that glucose is an important signaling molecule for increasing ribosomal production per se, perhaps acting as a ligand for signaling proteins or by acting to increase energy availability. In the human body (as opposed to cultured cells), glucose may also exert growth-stimulating effects by increasing insulin levels in blood. Overall, it thus seems plausible that glucose intake during resistance training may stimulate ribosomal biogenesis, in turn having beneficial effects for protein synthesis and muscle plasticity, perhaps acting in an additive manner to protein supplementation. At present, we do not know if this is the case, though studies have suggested that glucose ingestion during acute resistance training sessions may reduce training-induced muscle damage without affecting within-session work output (i.e. volume). This lack of knowledge is surprising given the long-standing appreciation of the beneficial effects of glucose intake for endurance performance, acting to delay muscular fatigue.

Enrollment: 16 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 45 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Non-smoking
• Moderately trained (i.e. having performed 2-8 resistance training sessions per 14 days for the last six months)

Exclusion criteria

• Not able to understand Norwegian
• Unstable cardiovascular disease
• Illness or injury contradicting heavy strength training
• Disabling musculoskeletal disease
• Serious mental illness
• Allergy to local anaesthesia
• Impaired glucose tolerance

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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16 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Glucose

Active Comparator group

Description:

Glucose will be ingested at three time points during resistance training (RT): 30 min prior to RT (30 g glucose mixed with 300 ml sugar-free Fun light lemonade), immediately prior to RT (30 g, 300 ml), and immediately after completion of training (30 g, 300 ml). Protein supplement will be ingested at two time points: 2 hours prior to RT (e.g. at 0700 hrs, 25 g) and immediately after completion of training (25 g). Placebo will be ingested during the afternoon (i.e. not during training; between 1800 hrs and 1900 hrs): 3 x 100 mg Stevia powder mixed with 3 x 300 ml sugar-free Fun light lemonade. (The dietary intervention spans from 2200 hrs on the evening prior to RT sessions to \~2.5 hrs after completion of RT. During this time frame, participants will ingest glucose and protein supplements only)

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Glucose

Placebo

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Placebo will be ingested at three time points during resistance training (RT): 30 min prior to RT (100 mg Stevia powder mixed with 300 ml sugar-free Fun light lemonade), immediately prior to RT (100 mg, 300 ml), and immediately after completion of training (100 mg, 300 ml). Protein supplement will be ingested at two time points: 2 hours prior to RT (e.g. at 0700 hrs, 25 g) and immediately after completion of training (25 g). Glucose will be ingested during the afternoon (i.e. not during training; between 1800 hrs and 1900 hrs): 3 x 30 g glucose mixed with 3 x 300 ml sugar-free Fun light lemonade. (The dietary intervention spans from 2200 hrs on the evening prior to RT sessions to \~2.5 hrs after completion of RT. I.e.: during this period, participants will ingest placebo and protein supplements only)

Treatment:

Dietary Supplement: Glucose