The Impact of a Whole-food Animal-based Versus Plant-based Protein Rich Meal on Muscle Protein Synthesis (MeaL)

The Impact of Ingesting a Whole-food Animal-based Versus Plant-based Protein Rich Meal on the Muscle Protein Synthetic Response in Healthy Older Men and Women

Rationale: Food intake stimulates muscle protein synthesis rates. The magnitude of the anabolic response to feeding forms a key factor in regulating muscle mass maintenance. Ingestion of animal-derived proteins generally leads to a greater stimulation of muscle protein synthesis when compared to the ingestion of plant-derived proteins. What is often neglected is that the anabolic properties of protein isolates do not necessarily reflect the anabolic response to the ingestion of the whole-foods from which those are derived. This discrepancy is due to the presence or absence of other components normally found within whole-food matrices, which influence protein digestion and amino acid absorption from animal based and plant based protein sources. A rapid and robust post-prandial release of food-derived amino acids is of particular relevance for older individuals, who typically show a blunted muscle protein synthetic response to feeding

Objective: To compare the post-prandial muscle protein synthetic response following ingestion of a whole-food meal (560 kilo calorie (kCal); ~36 g protein total, ~0.45 g/kg body weight) containing ~100 g lean ground beef (~30 g protein) versus the ingestion of an isonitrogenous, isocaloric whole-food meal containing only plant-based protein sources (561 kCal; ~36 g protein total) in vivo in healthy, older men and women.

Study design: randomized, counter-balanced, cross-over design, researchers and participants are not blinded, analysts are blinded.

Study population: 16 healthy older (65-85 y) men and women (1:1 ratio of men:women)

Intervention: Participants will undergo 2 test days. On one test day participants will consume a whole-food meal containing meat as the primary source of protein (~36 g, ~0.45 g/kg body weight). On the other day, participants will consume a whole-food meal containing only plant-based foods as the source of protein (~36 g or ~0.45 g/kg body weight). In addition, a continuous intravenous tracer infusion will be applied, and blood an muscle samples will be collected in order to assess the muscle protein synthetic response.

Main study parameters/endpoints: The primary endpoint will be mixed muscle protein synthesis rates over the full 6h post-prandial period following meal ingestion.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Sarcopenia; Muscle Protein Synthesis
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Muscle protein synthesis

Detailed Description

Food intake stimulates muscle protein synthesis rates. The anabolic response to feeding forms a key factor in regulating muscle mass maintenance. Impairments in the sensitivity of skeletal muscle tissue to respond to the anabolic properties of protein feeding have been reported in numerous settings where muscle mass is being lost, such as aging, disuse, chronic metabolic disease, and various clinical conditions where muscle wasting is apparent.

The capacity of a dietary protein to stimulate post-prandial muscle protein accretion depends on the digestion and absorption kinetics of that protein as well as its amino acid composition. A more rapid rise in circulating essential amino acids (EAAs), with leucine in particular, drives the post-prandial rise in muscle protein synthesis rates. It has been suggested that plant and animal based protein sources do not have the same anabolic properties due to differences digestibility and essential amino acid composition. However, so far, nearly all studies evaluating the muscle protein synthetic response to food ingestion have applied a reductionist approach and have determined the muscle protein synthetic response to the ingestion of isolated protein sources (e.g., whey, casein, soy) with or without other isolated meal components (e.g., carbohydrates, fats). This work suggests that the ingestion of isolated animal-based proteins stimulates a superior muscle protein synthetic response when compared to the ingestion of isolated plant-based proteins. However, protein isolates never constitute the main protein portion of a meal. Perhaps more importantly, it is often neglected that the anabolic properties of protein isolates do not necessarily reflect the anabolic response to the ingestion of the whole-foods from which those are derived. This discrepancy is due to the presence or absence of other nutritional components within whole-food matrices. In particular, plant-derived protein sources contain anti-nutritional factors that impair protein digestion and amino acid absorption and, as such, compromise the post-prandial rise in muscle protein synthesis rates.

Therefore, this project will compare the impact of the ingestion of a whole-food meal with beef as the primary source of protein, with the ingestion of a whole food meal ingestion with only plant derived protein sources, on the muscle protein synthetic response in healthy older men and women.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 17
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Netherlands
  • Limburg
    • Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands, 6229ER
      • Maastricht University Medical Center+

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years to 85 years (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 65-85 years
• Body mass index 18.5 - 30 kg/m2
• Healthy
• Having given informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Allergy for one of the food items used
• >5% weight change in the previous 6 months
• Participating in a structured (progressive) exercise program
• Smoking
• Diagnosed musculoskeletal disorders
• Diagnosed metabolic disorders (e.g. diabetes)
• Use of any medications known to affect protein metabolism (i.e. corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories).
• Chronic use of gastric acid suppressing medication
• Chronic use of anti-coagulants
• Diagnosed GI tract disorders or diseases
• Blood donation in the past 2 months
• Strict vegetarian diet

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Meat meal; Minced beef, potato, string beans, apple sauce, and herb butter	Other: Muscle protein synthesis; The meals contain a total of 0.45 g protein/kg body mass (36 g protein for an 80 kg person). To account for differences in body mass, the investigators will scale the meal content to ensure 0.45 g/kg body mass for different body mass ranges (i.e., 65-75 kg, 75-85 kg, etc.). As such, carbohydrate, fat, and total energy content of the meals will also be scaled to body mass. The test meals are composed out of regular whole food items which will be purchased from local shops. The muscle protein synthetic response following meal ingestion will be assessed by the use of stable isotope tracer methodology
Experimental: Plant meal; Quinoa, soy beans, chickpeas, broad beans, and soy sauce	Other: Muscle protein synthesis; The meals contain a total of 0.45 g protein/kg body mass (36 g protein for an 80 kg person). To account for differences in body mass, the investigators will scale the meal content to ensure 0.45 g/kg body mass for different body mass ranges (i.e., 65-75 kg, 75-85 kg, etc.). As such, carbohydrate, fat, and total energy content of the meals will also be scaled to body mass. The test meals are composed out of regular whole food items which will be purchased from local shops. The muscle protein synthetic response following meal ingestion will be assessed by the use of stable isotope tracer methodology

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle protein synthesis rates	Post-prandial muscle protein synthesis rates Meat meal vs Plant meal	One integrative value over the 6 hour post-prandial period

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle protein synthesis rates	Muscle protein synthesis rates during the basal period and over 0-3 hour and 3-6 hour period	-3-0 hour, 0-3 hour, and 3-6 hour
Plasma amino acid concentrations	Post-prandial plasma amino acid availability	6 hour post-prandial period
Plasma glucose concentrations	Post-prandial plasma glucose availability	6 hour post-prandial period
Plasma insulin concentrations	Post-prandial plasma insulin availability	6 hour post-prandial period

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Maastricht University Medical Center
• Collaborators: National Cattlemen's Beef Association; Vion Food Group
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Luc van Loon, PhD, Maastricht University Medical Center

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 28, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 25, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): April 25, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 15, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 26, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): December 9, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 31, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 30, 2023
• Last Verified: May 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Muscular Atrophy; Atrophy; Sarcopenia
• Other Study ID Numbers: METC 21-006

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