Pregnancy
Conditions
Keywords
pregnancy, protein requirements, Indicator Amino acid oxidation, Stable isotopes
Brief summary
Protein is an essential part of our diet. It is used to build muscle and body tissue, send signals throughout our body and to support the immune system. Dietary protein is even more crucial during pregnancy as it is needed for healthy growth and development of the baby. There is very minimal data available on how much additional protein is required during pregnancy. Current recommendations are based on older techniques such as nitrogen balance studies of non-pregnant adults and minimally based on pregnancy specific data. There is no scientific information regarding the amount of protein needed during different stages of pregnancy. The investigators hypothesize that the current recommendations of protein intake during pregnancy are underestimated. The goal of this study is to measure protein requirement in healthy pregnant women (19-35y)using a more quick and modern technique called the indicator amino acid oxidation technique (IAAO).
Interventions
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTProtein Intake
Oral consumption of Eight hourly experimental meals- Includes 4 tracer-free experimental meals containing a mixture of free amino acids, calories from a flavored liquid and protein free cookies and 4- labeled amino acid experimental meals.
Sponsors
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
University of British Columbia
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
19 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Healthy pregnant women * Singleton pregnancy * Maternal age 19-35y * In good health (free of chronic/acute disease,full range of physical mobility) * Healthy pre-pregnancy body mass index
Exclusion criteria
Women * not pregnant * Pregnant with more than one child * Singleton pregnancy outside the age range of 19-35y * Not in good health or have a metabolic, neurological, genetic, or immune disorder, including gestational diabetes or anemia * smoke or consume alcohol during their pregnancy * classified as underweight (\<18.5 kg/m2), overweight (25-30 kg/m2) or obese (\>30 kg/m2) * allergic to eggs and egg protein * severe nausea/vomiting throughout their pregnancy
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Carbon dioxide production | 8 hours (1 study day) | Urine and breath samples will be collected during the study to measure the rate of oxidation of tracer in expired breath and flux by enrichment in urine. |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed