Whey Protein Support to Metabolic and Performance Adaptations in Response HIIT

Whey Protein Support to Metabolic and Performance Adaptations in Response to High Intensity Interval Training in Young Adult Men

High intensity interval training (HIIT) has recently emerged as a time efficient alternative to conventional endurance exercise, conferring similar or superior benefits in terms of metabolic and performance adaptations in both athletic and non-athletic populations. Some of these physiological adaptations include augmented mitochondrial biogenesis and improved substrate metabolism in peripheral tissues such as skeletal muscle. However, nutritional strategies to optimise the adaptations to HIIT have yet to be established. Recent evidence suggests that acute nutritional status can affect the molecular regulation of genes mediating substrate metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis. Moreover, preliminary evidence suggests that completion of exercise in fasted conditions augments some of these exercise-induced adaptations compared with the fed state. Given the fact that the transient molecular adaptations to acute exercise mediate long-term physiological adaptations, an investigation into the effects of different nutritional interventions on metabolic and performance responses to HIIT is warranted.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of fasted vs. fed-state (Whey Protein) HIIT on metabolic and performance adaptations in the acute (single exercise session) and chronic (3 weeks, 9 exercise sessions) phases. The primary hypothesis is that different pre-exercise feeding conditions (e.g. fasted placebo vs. Whey protein fed) will result in divergent physiological adaptations in terms of skeletal muscle metabolism and performance, both in response to a single HIIT session and a chronic HIIT intervention.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Exercise; Muscle, Skeletal; High-Intensity Interval Training
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Placebo; Dietary supplement: Nutrient support to HIIT

Detailed Description

High intensity interval training (HIIT) has recently emerged as a time efficient alternative to conventional endurance exercise, conferring similar or superior benefits in terms of metabolic and performance adaptations in both athletic and non-athletic populations. Some of these physiological adaptations include augmented mitochondrial biogenesis and improved substrate metabolism in peripheral tissues such as skeletal muscle. However, nutritional strategies to optimise the adaptations to HIIT have yet to be established. Recent evidence suggests that acute nutritional status can affect the molecular regulation of genes mediating substrate metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis. Moreover, preliminary evidence suggests that completion of exercise in fasted conditions augments some of these exercise-induced adaptations compared with the fed state. Given the fact that the transient molecular adaptations to acute exercise mediate long-term physiological adaptations, an investigation into the effects of different nutritional interventions on metabolic and performance responses to HIIT is warranted.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of fasted vs. fed-state (Whey Protein) HIIT on metabolic and performance adaptations in the acute (single exercise session) and chronic (3 weeks, 9 exercise sessions) phases. The primary hypothesis is that different pre-exercise feeding conditions (e.g. fasted vs. Whey protein fed) will result in divergent physiological adaptations in terms of skeletal muscle metabolism and performance, both in response to a single HIIT session and a chronic HIIT intervention.

A randomly assigned, parallel group, simple pre-post design has been adopted to answer this question. 3 groups of young (aged 18-35 y), healthy, recreationally active, aerobically untrained (VO2max <50 ml.kg.min-1), protein sufficient (>0.8 g.kg.d-1), males will undertake 3 weeks (9 sessions) of HIIT under different nutrient conditions following >10h overnight fast: i) Fasted placebo (0.33g.kg-1 body mass artificially flavoured and textured placebo); ii) Fed Whey protein (0.33g.kg-1 body mass intact whey protein 45 minutes prior to exercise); iii) Fed Whey protein hydrolysate (0.33g.kg-1 body mass hydrolysed whey protein 45 minutes prior to exercise). Participants will undergo biological sampling (venous blood and muscle biopsy) and measures of performance pre and post the intervention.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 35
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Ireland
  • Munster
    • Limerick, Munster, Ireland, V94 T9PX
      • University of Limerick

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy (absence of clinical condition)
• Recreationally active
• Aerobically untrained (VO2max <50 ml.kg.min-1)
• Protein sufficient (>0.8 g.kg.d-1)
• Males
• Able to provide informed consent
• No contraindications to high intensity exercise

Exclusion Criteria:

• BMI >30 kg.m-2
• Metabolic disease (mitochondrial, Type 2 Diabetes)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Placebo; Intervention (Nutrient support to HIIT): Participants consume 0.33g.kg-1 body mass of artificially flavoured and textured placebo 45 minutes prior to HIIT exercise	Dietary supplement: Placebo; 3 groups of young (aged 18-35 y), healthy, recreationally active, aerobically untrained (VO2max <50 ml.kg.min-1) males will undertake 3 weeks (9 sessions) of HIIT under different nutrient conditions following >10h overnight fast: i) Fasted artificially flavoured and textured placebo 45 minutes prior to exercise; ii) Fed Whey protein 45 minutes prior to exercise; iii) Fed Whey protein hydrolysate 45 minutes prior to exercise).
Experimental: Whey Protein; Intervention (Nutrient support to HIIT): Participants consume 0.33g.kg-1 body mass intact whey protein 45 minutes prior to HIIT exercise	Dietary supplement: Nutrient support to HIIT; 3 groups of young (aged 18-35 y), healthy, recreationally active, aerobically untrained (VO2max <50 ml.kg.min-1) males will undertake 3 weeks (9 sessions) of HIIT under different nutrient conditions following >10h overnight fast: i) Placebo: Fasted artificially flavoured and textured placebo 45 minutes prior to exercise; ii) Whey protein 45 minutes prior to exercise; iii) Whey protein hydrolysate 45 minutes prior to exercise).
Experimental: Whey Protein Hydrolysate; Intervention (Nutrient support to HIIT): Participants consume 0.33g.kg-1 body mass hydrolysed whey protein 45 minutes prior to HIIT exercise	Dietary supplement: Nutrient support to HIIT; 3 groups of young (aged 18-35 y), healthy, recreationally active, aerobically untrained (VO2max <50 ml.kg.min-1) males will undertake 3 weeks (9 sessions) of HIIT under different nutrient conditions following >10h overnight fast: i) Placebo: Fasted artificially flavoured and textured placebo 45 minutes prior to exercise; ii) Whey protein 45 minutes prior to exercise; iii) Whey protein hydrolysate 45 minutes prior to exercise).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Organelle Biogenesis (Mitochondrial) Acute	Acute phase - change in Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor 1 alpha (PGC-1α) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression in response to a single HIIT session. Measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).	Acute - 3 hours post exercise session 1
Exercise Performance	Mean power output (Watts) during 20 minute cycling performance test. Measured using cycle ergometer and associated software.	Chronic - 72 hours post exercise session 9
Anaerobic Exercise Performance	Anaerobic exercise performance peak power (Watts). Measured using 30 second Wingate test on a Monark 894E cycle ergometer.	Chronic - 72 hours post exercise session 9
Organelle Biogenesis (Mitochondrial) Chronic	Chronic Phase - change in Citrate Synthase Activity measured using commercially available assay kits.	Chronic - 48 hours post exercise session 9

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Organelle Biogenesis (Mitochondrial)	Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase 4 (PDK4), Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor (PPAR) delta, Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) mRNA expression. Measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).	Acute: 3 hours post HIIT session 1.
Cycling Economy	Cycling economy (W.VO2 L.min-1) during multiple incremental stages (50 W, 100 W, 150 W, 200 W, 250 W) of a submaximal cycling test.	Chronic - 72 hours post exercise session 9

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Limerick
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Brian P Carson, PhD, University of Limerick

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 31, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): February 1, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): February 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 22, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 15, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): June 27, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 13, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 10, 2020
• Last Verified: January 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Protein Hydrolysates; Adaptation, Physiological; Whey Proteins; Organelle Biogenesis
• Other Study ID Numbers: 7867835

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