The Influence of Regular Beef Consumption and Protein Density of the Diet on Training-induced Gains in Muscle Strength and Performance in Healthy Adults

Humans lose muscle and strength as they get older. Further, ageing is accompanied by loss in cognitive function. It is not quite clear why this happens; however, it is known that the loss of muscle and strength can increase risk for physical and mental health risks and impair the ability of older people to remain physically independent. Weight lifting and proper nutrition, particularly eating high quality protein at the proper time and quantity, may help prevent these losses when a person gets older. To determine if regular beef consumption as part of a higher protein diet aids the muscle adaptive response to resistance training and improvements in cognition, seventy healthy individuals will be recruited to lift weights 3 times a week for 10 weeks. One group (n=36) will consume the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein (0.8g/kg/day), while the other group (n=36) will consume an amount twice the RDA (1.6g/kg/day), which is in agreement with recommendations from the American College of Sports Medicine. Participants will have their muscle strength tested and samples of blood and muscles will be collected before and after training to determine how the muscle adaptive response to resistance exercise is affected by higher protein intake. In addition, participants will undergo cognitive assessments at baseline and follow-up to determine the influence of improving muscle strength on attention and memory. Overall, the investigators proposed study will use sensitive methodology to determine if providing protein above the RDA and at optimal times during the day in combination with a weight lifting program can help make someone stronger and build larger muscles than someone consuming the RDA, as well as what processes may be responsible for helping the muscles to get bigger and stronger.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Aging
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Resistance Training Exercise; Behavioral: Beef Protein Consumption

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 41
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Urbana, Illinois, United States, 61801
      • Freer Hall

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 40 years to 64 years (ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Non-obese adults: BMI <30 kg/m2
• Aged between 40-64 years
• Sedentary
• Weight-stable for 6 months prior

Exclusion Criteria:

• Allergies to beef consumption
• Phenylketonuria (PKU)
• BMI >30 kg/m2
• history of active cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, GI disorders, musculoskeletal/orthopedic disorders (e.g. osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, tendinitis, gout, fibromyalgia, patellar tendinopathy, or chronic low back pain)
• hypersensitivity or allergy to antibiotics
• Kidney, urinary, or liver conditions
• Epilepsy
• Diagnosed mental illness
• have bleeding or clotting disorders (or take related medications e.g.. Coumadin/ low dose Aspirin)
• High alcohol consumption
• use tobacco
• uncontrolled hypertension
• vegan/vegetarian diets
• on medications known to affect protein metabolism (i.e. corticosteroids, androgen/estrogen containing compounds, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories)
• habitual consumption of high (>1.8 g protein/kg/d) or low (<0.66 g protein/kg/day)
• pregnancy
• supplements that influence protein metabolism (e.g. omega 3 fish oils)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: DOUBLE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
ACTIVE_COMPARATOR: RDA; Participants will be asked to consume the RDA for protein for a 10 week period while also undergoing progressive resistance training exercise three times a week. Beef protein consumption will be emphasized and participants will consume a beef meal after each training session.	Behavioral: Resistance Training Exercise; Participants will undergo 10 weeks of progressive resistance exercise training while following their randomly assigned nutritional intervention.; Behavioral: Beef Protein Consumption; Following each resistance training sessions, participants will consume either a 3oz or 6oz beef patty (corresponding to the randomly assigned nutritional intervention group). Participants will also be provided with beef protein powder and beef snack bars to help them achieve their assigned protein goals during the intervention period.
EXPERIMENTAL: 2x RDA; Participants will be asked to consume the twice the RDA for protein for a 10 week period while also undergoing progressive resistance training exercise three times a week. Beef protein will be emphasized and participants will consume a beef meal after each training session.	Behavioral: Resistance Training Exercise; Participants will undergo 10 weeks of progressive resistance exercise training while following their randomly assigned nutritional intervention.; Behavioral: Beef Protein Consumption; Following each resistance training sessions, participants will consume either a 3oz or 6oz beef patty (corresponding to the randomly assigned nutritional intervention group). Participants will also be provided with beef protein powder and beef snack bars to help them achieve their assigned protein goals during the intervention period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maximal strength of leg muscles	Assess maximum strength of legs using an isokinetic dynamometer in combination with 1 repetition maximum testing on leg extension, leg press, and leg curl machines.	Change from baseline to the end of the 10 week diet and resistance training intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle cross-sectional area	Using muscle biopsies, the investigators will assess the muscle cross sectional area of the vastus lateralis pre and post intervention.	Change from baseline to the end of the 10 week diet and resistance training intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Collaborators: National Cattlemen's Beef Association

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• McKenna CF, Salvador AF, Hughes RL, Scaroni SE, Alamilla RA, Askow AT, Paluska SA, Dilger AC, Holscher HD, De Lisio M, Khan NA, Burd NA. Higher protein intake during resistance training does not potentiate strength, but modulates gut microbiota, in middle-aged adults: a randomized control trial. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2021 May 1;320(5):E900-E913. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00574.2020. Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): February 1, 2017
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): May 17, 2019
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): May 17, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 19, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 23, 2017
• First Posted (ESTIMATE): January 24, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): November 13, 2019
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 12, 2019
• Last Verified: August 1, 2019

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: performance; strength; resistance training; protein; beef
• Other Study ID Numbers: 16997

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No