Mycoprotein and Pea Protein Blend and Muscle Protein Synthetic Response (BPM)

Comparing Postprandial Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates Following the Consumption of Mycoprotein, Pea Protein and a Mycoprotein/Pea Protein Blend in Resistance Trained Individuals

Dietary protein is vital for the preservation of health and optimal adaptation to training. Plant proteins are considered inferior to animal proteins with respect to their ability to stimulate an acute muscle building response and therefore support long-term muscle reconditioning. Pea protein is a highly commercially available plant proteins source (available as supplements, food ingredients etc.), yet there is no research investigating its ability to stimulate a muscle building response. The investigators aim to assess the effect of consuming pea protein on muscle protein synthesis rates and compare these results to mycoprotein, a source known to elicit a robust anabolic response.

Pea protein is lower in some of the essential amino acids, namely methionine, which could mean it is less effective compared with mycoprotein which has a more complete amino acid profile. So in addition to comparing pea with mycoprotein, the investigators also want to compare to a blend of pea and mycoprotein to see if replenishing the amino acid content in pea 'rescues' the anabolic response.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Muscle Protein Synthesis
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Bolus ingestion of protein

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 33
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Exeter, United Kingdom
    • University of Exeter

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 40 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• BMI between 18 and 30
• Resistance trained

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any metabolic impairment
• Smoking
• Use of over the counter pharmaceuticals (excluding oral contraceptives and contraceptive devices).
• A personal family history of epilepsy, seizures or schizophrenia.
• Allergic to Quorn/mycoprotein/edible fungi/environmental mould products.
• Any motor disorder.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Mycoprotein; Bolus ingestion of mycoprotein providing 25g of protein.	Dietary supplement: Bolus ingestion of protein; Ingestion of 25g of protein; Other Names: Protein ingestion
Experimental: Pea protein; Bolus ingestion of pea protein providing 25g of protein.	Dietary supplement: Bolus ingestion of protein; Ingestion of 25g of protein; Other Names: Protein ingestion
Experimental: Mycoprotein/pea protein dry blend; Bolus ingestion of mycoprotein/pea protein dry blend providing 25g of protein.	Dietary supplement: Bolus ingestion of protein; Ingestion of 25g of protein; Other Names: Protein ingestion

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle protein synthesis	The rate of synthesis of new muscle protein (Fractional synthetic rate %/h)	8.5 hours

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Plasma amino acid kinetics	The appearance of amino acids from the protein drink in the circulation.	8.5 hours
Serum insulin concentrations	Basal and postprandial concentrations of serum insulin	8.5 hours
Translocation of mTOR via immunohistochemistry	Locality of mTOR within the muscle cell	8.5 hours
mTOR phosphorylation via ATP kinase assay	The amount of mTOR that has been activated in the muscle cell	8.5 hours

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Exeter
• Collaborators: Quorn

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 15, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): June 15, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 5, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 19, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): May 20, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 22, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 21, 2023
• Last Verified: March 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 200325_B_04UOE

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