Influence of Sex and Training on de Novo Muscle Protein Synthesis (TUT)

Influence of Sex, Acute Resistance Exercise and Training on de Novo Muscle Protein Synthesis

Acute exercise increases the incorporation of dietary amino acids into de novo myofibrillar proteins after a single meal in controlled laboratory studies in males. It is unclear if this extends to free-living settings or is influenced by training or sex. Over 24 h in a free-living setting, the investigators determined the effect of training status and sex on dietary phenylalanine incorporation into contractile myofibrillar and noncontractile sarcoplasmic proteins after exercise.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Resistance Exercise; Amino Acids; Dietary Protein; Sex
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Resistance exercise

Detailed Description

Exogenous (e.g. diet-derived) amino acids increase muscle protein synthesis and provide the building blocks for growth. While traditional infusion studies can measure the synthesis of total mixed muscle or fraction-specific protein synthetic rates, the metabolic fate of dietary amino acids can only be assessed by measuring the incorporation of a labelled amino acid (i.e. L-[1-13C]phenylalanine) into muscle protein through the oral ingestion of a intrinsically labelled food source (e.g. milk protein) . This technique has revealed in controlled laboratory settings that dietary amino acids, and not endogenous amino acids recycled from intracellular protein breakdown, may be preferentially utilized as precursors for muscle and whole body protein synthesis Therefore, it is important to characterize the incorporation of diet-derived amino acids over a 24-h post-exercise recovery period to determine how RE influences their utilization as precursors for the synthesis of new muscle proteins. The investigators are unaware of any studies that have examined the utilization of dietary amino acids for de novo muscle protein synthesis in females, highlighting an urgent need to rectify the sex-disparity in exercise-related research.

Protein requirements during resistance training have been suggested to be highest at training onset with evidence suggesting moderate daily intakes (~1.2-1.4 g·kg·d-1) can support chronic adaptations, although recent suggestions are that slightly higher intakes (~1.6 g·kg·d-1) may optimize lean mass growth. Resistance training is associated with a reduction in whole-body protein turnover but an increased net protein balance suggesting a greater efficiency of whole-body amino acid utilization with training in males , although whether this also extends to females is unknown. Acute RE and chronic training has been reported to increase intracellular amino acid recycling in the fasted state, which would be consistent with an increased amino acid efficiency. To date, however, no study has investigated whether the post-exercise incorporation of dietary amino acids into myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins in a free-living setting is modified by training and/or sex.

The primary aim of the present study was to determine the dietary fate of amino acids into contractile myofibrillar and noncontractile sarcoplasmic muscle proteins after acute RE in the untrained and trained state over 24 h in a free-living setting. The investigators hypothesized that, irrespective of sex, acute RE would increase dietary amino acid incorporation in myofibrillar proteins in the untrained state with training leading to an attenuated increase suggestive of a reduced reliance on dietary amino acids in the trained state.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 20

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M9L 1C5
      • Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 30 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

: Ten recreationally active and healthy young males and females

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants were included in the study after reporting not engaging in whole body RE or plyometrics in the past 3 months and had a BMI between 18.5-27.5 kg/m2.
• Females were included if they had a regular menstrual cycle with the last 3 months and

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants were excluded if they: i) consumed tobacco and/or illicit anabolic drug use (e.g. testosterone, growth hormones); ii) were a vegan or had a nut allergy and; iii) participated in a study within the past year involving stable isotopes.
• Females were excluded if they used oral contraceptives and/or discontinued their use within the last 3 months.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Males; 10 young healthy biological males aged 18 - 30 y	Behavioral: Resistance exercise; Participants performed 8 weeks of resistance training and muscle biopsies were taken before and 24 h before and after the program.
Females; 10 young healthy biological females aged 18 - 30 y	Behavioral: Resistance exercise; Participants performed 8 weeks of resistance training and muscle biopsies were taken before and 24 h before and after the program.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Dietary fate of amino acids into myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins	MPE	The change in muscle MPE at 0 and 24 h after acute resistance exercise before and after training

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Amino acid transporter protein content	Arbitrary units	0 and 24 hours after acute resistance exercise before and after training
mTOR localization with capillaries	Pearson's r	0 and 24 hours after acute resistance exercise before and after training

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Toronto
• Collaborators: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Daniel Moore, PhD, University of Toronto

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Abou Sawan S, Hodson N, Malowany JM, West DWD, Tinline-Goodfellow C, Brook MS, Smith K, Atherton PJ, Kumbhare D, Moore DR. Trained Integrated Postexercise Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis Rates Correlate with Hypertrophy in Young Males and Females. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2022 Jun 1;54(6):953-964. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002878. Epub 2022 Jan 25.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 5, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 10, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): May 14, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 14, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 10, 2021
• Last Verified: May 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: muscle protein synthesis; intrinsically labeled proteins
• Other Study ID Numbers: TUT study; RGPIN-2015-04521 (Other Grant/Funding Number: NSERC Discovery Grant)

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