Bioavailability of Plant Protein Amino Acids

Bioavailability of Amino Acids and Metabolic Products Following Oral Ingestion of Plant-Based Proteins in Young, Healthy Men and Women Aged 18-35y

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT04872530

Enrollment

Registered

2021-05-04

Start date

2020-01-08

Completion date

2023-09-29

Last updated

2023-11-30

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Bioavailability of Amino Acids Following Oral Ingestion of Plant-Based Proteins in Young, Healthy Men

Keywords

Bioavailability of Amino Acids Following Oral Ingestion of Plant-Based Proteins in Young, Healthy Men

Brief summary

This study aims to inform of the mechanism of action of plant-based protein by measuring the bioavailability (i.e. rate of appearance and magnitude of concentration in the circulation following oral ingestion) of key amino acid and metabolic products that regulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in humans.

Detailed description

Plant-based proteins contain several amino acids that are essential to signal muscle growth/repair and act as a substrate during muscle protein synthesis. However, compared to animal protein or free-amino acids, the bioavailability of certain essential amino acids may be compromised. Following selective processing (e.g. removal of carbohydrate and/or other anti-nutritive factors) food grade plant-based protein concentrates possibly confer greater bioavailability and bioactivity in vivo. This project explores the bioavailability and bioactivity of selected plant-based protein concentrates following oral ingestion in young, healthy men and women.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTPea-protein concentrate

Pea-protein concentrate

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTFava-bean protein concentrate

Fava-bean protein concentrate

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTChickpea protein concentrate

Chickpea protein concentrate

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTRed lentil protein concentrate

Red lentil protein concentrate

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTNon-essential amino acid blend

Non-essential amino acid blend

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTWhey protein concentrate

Whey protein concentrate

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

CROSSOVER

Primary purpose

OTHER

Masking

SINGLE (Subject)

Intervention model description

Subjects who volunteer for this study will undertake SIX controlled feeding trials, each trial separated by 7 days.Subjects will be assigned to a randomised sequence of six protein isolates including: (1) pea-protein concentrate; (2) fava-bean protein concentrate; (3) chickpea protein concentrate; (4) red lentil protein concentrate; (5) non-essential amino acid blend (negative control);( 6) whey protein concentrate. Protein is dosed at 0.33 g/kg body mass in 500 ml of water.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

MALE

Age

18 Years to 35 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* No known intolerance to any item contained in the protein products. * No blood borne disease risk, current illness or medication that would adversely affect participation * No known adverse reaction to venepuncture

Exclusion criteria

* n/a

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Plasma amino acids	3 hours	Plasma amino acids measured by HPLC

Countries

Ireland

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026