Healthy Males
Conditions
Keywords
muscle protein synthesis, amino acids
Brief summary
Background: Protein intake is important for maintaining skeletal muscle mass. These proteins consist of a collection of small building blocks which are called amino acids. There are two types of amino acids that are needed to build muscle: essential amino acids (EAA) and non-essential amino acids (NEAA). EAAs cannot be made in the body and must be consumed through foods, while NEAAs can be made within the body. However, if NEAA are not consumed through foods, the process of making NEAA in the body costs the body energy. It is still unknown what the impact of a diet containing too few non-essential amino acids is for muscle building and the body's energy metabolism. Objective: To determine if a diet lacking NEAA, with or without being replaced by additional EAA, influences muscle protein building and whole-body metabolism. Study design: Randomized, parallel design, double-blind, 10-day dietary intervention study. Study population: 45 healthy (BMI 22-30 kg/m2) young males (age: 18-35 y inclusive). Hypothesis: It is hypothesized that a diet lacking NEAA, with or without being replaced by additional EAA, decreases muscle protein building in humans.
Interventions
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTEAA Supplement
Dissolved in water and ingested 4 times a day
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTNEAA Supplement
Dissolved in water and ingested 4 times a day
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTMaltodextrin Supplement
Dissolved in water and ingested 4 times a day
Sponsors
Maastricht University Medical Center
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Male * Age between 18 and 35 y inclusive * BMI between 22 and 30 kg/m2 * Non-smoker * Having given informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* Participating in a structured (progressive) exercise program * Smoker * Diagnosed GI tract disorders or diseases * Diagnosed musculoskeletal disorders * Diagnosed metabolic disorders (e.g. diabetes) * Cardiovascular disease * Hypertension (blood pressure above 140/90 mmHg) * Donated blood 3 months prior to test day * Use of any medications known to affect protein metabolism (i.e. corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories). * Chronic use of gastric acid suppressing medication * Chronic use of anti-coagulants * Any intolerance to foods included in the standardized diet intervention * Any implants that would be a contra-indication for performing an MRI scan
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated skeletal muscle protein fractional synthesis rates | 10 days | Calculated by the change in deuterium labelled alanine in skeletal muscle protein |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dietary carbohydrate intake | 10 days | Assessed by calculating the actual intakes from the provided diet |
| Liver fat | Baseline, 10 days | Measured using MRI |
| Body lean mass composition | Baseline, 10 days | Measured using MRI |
| Systolic and diastolic blood pressure | Baseline, 5 days, 10 days | Measured using automated device |
| Body mass | Baseline, 5 days, 10 days | Assessed using scale |
| Dietary protein intake | 10 days | Assessed by calculating the actual intakes from the provided diet |
| Integrated skin protein fractional synthesis rates | 10 days | Calculated by the change in deuterium labelled alanine in skin protein |
| Muscle mass | Baseline, 10 days | Measured using Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) |
| Body fat composition | Baseline, 10 days | Measured using MRI |
| Resting energy expenditure | Baseline, 10 days | Measured using indirect calorimetry |
| Dietary fat intake | 10 days | Assessed by calculating the actual intakes from the provided diet |
| Resting heart rate | Baseline, 5 days, 10 days | Measured using automated device |
| Plasma amino acids | Baseline, 5 days, 10 days | Measured in plasma samples |
| Blood metabolites | Baseline, 5 days, 10 days | Assessed in plasma and serum samples |
| Urine metabolites | Baseline, 5 days, 10 days | Measured in fasted urine samples |
| Skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration | Baseline, 10 days | Measured in skeletal muscle tissue collected from muscle biopsy |
| Skeletal muscle signalling pathways | Baseline, 10 days | Measured in skeletal muscle tissue from muscle biopsy |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Height | Baseline | Assessed using stadiometer |
| Age | Baseline | At baseline, assessed using questionnaire |
Countries
Netherlands
Contacts
Primary ContactHeather Petrick, MSc
Backup ContactLuc van Loon, Prof, Dr.
Outcome results
None listed