Protein Blends (Soy, Whey and Casein) for Muscle Synthesis

A Randomized, Controlled Double Blind Acute Study: Effects of Protein Blends on Muscle Protein Synthesis and Breakdown

Soy protein is a high quality, plant-based protein that is comparable to milk, meat and eggs. Soy protein has a digestion rate (intermediate) compared to whey (fast) and casein (slow). This intermediate rate may allow soy protein to have an extended window of muscle protein synthesis that has not been monitored in previous studies. While most of the sports nutrition "recovery" products are dairy-based protein blends (high in branched-chain amino acids), soy protein offers additional benefits that can make an important contribution to these types of sports nutrition products. Soy protein contains approximately 300% more arginine and 30% more glutamine compared to whey protein and these two amino acids may bring additional benefits (immunity and hydration, respectively) to athletes. A "blend" of high-quality proteins (soy and dairy) may be the optimal sports nutrition product for athletes to consume following training.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Muscle Synthesis
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Protein Blend

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 19
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Texas
    • Galveston, Texas, United States, 77555
      • UTMB General Clinical Research Center, located in the John Sealy Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion:

1. Age 18-35 yrs
2. Stable body weight for at least 1 year

Exclusion criteria will be:

1. Exercise training (>2 weekly sessions of moderate to high intensity aerobic or resistance exercise)
2. Significant heart, liver, kidney, blood, or respiratory disease
3. Peripheral vascular disease
4. Diabetes mellitus or other untreated endocrine disease
5. Active cancer (all groups) and history of cancer (groups potentially randomizable to rapamycin)
6. Acute infectious disease or history of chronic infections (e.g. TB, hepatitis, HIV, herpes)
7. Recent (within 6 months) treatment with anabolic steroids, or corticosteroids.
8. Alcohol or drug abuse
9. Tobacco use (smoking or chewing)
10. Malnutrition (BMI < 20 kg/m2, hypoalbuminemia, and/or hypotransferrinemia)
11. Obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2)
12. Low hemoglobin levels (below normal values)
13. Food allergies
14. Taking dietary supplements such as green tea, etc.
15. Currently on a high-soy diet (consuming >2 servings of soy per day)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Whey Protein Isolate	Other: Protein Blend; Single intake of approximately 20 grams of total protein
Experimental: Protein Blend (soy, whey and casein)	Other: Protein Blend; Single intake of approximately 20 grams of total protein

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle Protein Synthesis or Fractional synthesis rate (FSR)	The fractional synthesis rate (FSR) of mixed muscle proteins will be calculated from the incorporation rate of L-[ring-13C6]Phenylalanine into the mixed muscle proteins, and the free-tissue phenylalanine enrichment.	baseline, 3 hours, 5 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
oxidative and inflammatory markers	Proteins will be assessed that are markers of oxidative damage and inflammation (NFkB, IL-1, IL-6) and proteolysis (MuRF, MAFBx).	baseline, 3 hours, 5 hours
Phosphorylation of protein in muscle protein signaling pathways	Phosphorylation of mTOR, 4E-BP1, S6K1, S6, and eEF2 will be measured using Western blot techniques as previously described.	baseline, 3 hours, 5 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: DuPont Nutrition and Health
• Collaborators: University of Texas
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ratna Mukherjea, PhD, Solae, LLC; Principal Investigator: Mark B Cope, PhD, Solae, LLC; Principal Investigator: Blake B Rasmussen, PhD, UTMB

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Reidy PT, Walker DK, Dickinson JM, Gundermann DM, Drummond MJ, Timmerman KL, Fry CS, Borack MS, Cope MB, Mukherjea R, Jennings K, Volpi E, Rasmussen BB. Protein blend ingestion following resistance exercise promotes human muscle protein synthesis. J Nutr. 2013 Apr;143(4):410-6. doi: 10.3945/jn.112.168021. Epub 2013 Jan 23.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 1, 2012
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 19, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 20, 2011
• First Posted (Estimate): May 23, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 7, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 3, 2019
• Last Verified: October 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: muscle; antioxidant; soy protein; mTOR; inflammatory markers; casein; whey; synthesis
• Other Study ID Numbers: CRC-D-176