The Anabolic Properties of a Lipid-rich Pork Matrix

The amount and quality of skeletal muscle mass determines physical performance, but also a significant contributor to metabolic health. As such, the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass is relevant across the lifespan to remain active in family and community life. Food ingestion, particularly protein, is one of the main anabolic to skeletal muscle tissue by stimulating muscle protein synthesis rates. There have been multiple attempts to identify specialized performance nutrition products (e.g., various isolated protein powders) to maximize the anabolic properties of dietary protein on muscle. Our research group, however, has advocated for a food focus approach to meet dietary protein requirements. Particularly, we propose that whole foods demonstrate food matrix effects (nutrient-nutrient interactions) that creates a greater anabolic action on muscle beyond what amino acids can create alone. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the anabolic properties of consuming lipid-rich pork products when compared to their leaner counter-parts. Our working hypothesis that the ingestion of 84% or 96% lean ground pork condition will stimulate a greater increase in muscle protein synthesis rates compared to an isocaloric carbohydrate beverage in healthy adults. We further hypothesize that the ingestion of 84% lean pork will augment the stimulation of muscle protein synthesis rates to a greater extent than 96% lean ground pork. To achieve our objective, we will recruit 15 healthy men and women (20-50 y) to receive prime-constant infusions to directly measure muscle protein synthesis rates before and after treatment ingestion using our lab's established methods.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Muscle Protein Synthesis
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: 95.1% Lean Pork; Other: 81.16% Lean Pork; Other: Carbohydrate Beverage

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 15
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Andrew T Askow, MS; Phone Number: (608) 630-0237; Email: askow2@illinois.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Illinois
    • Urbana, Illinois, United States, 61801
      • Recruiting
      • Louise Freer Hall (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
      • Contact: Nicholas A Burd, PhD; Phone Number: 217-244-0970; Email: naburd@illinois.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 20-50 yrs
• Pre-menopausal
• Recreationally active
• Weight stable for prior 6 months

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age outside of range (20 - 50 yrs)
• Pregnancy
• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Participation in previous research using [13C6]phenylalanine
• Participation in other ongoing research that interferes with this study (e.g., conflicting diet, activity interventions, etc.)
• Any hospitalization or surgery for a metabolic, cardiovascular, or neuromusculoskeletal complication within the past year
• Allergy or hypersensitivity to local anesthetics, latex, or adhesives (bandages, medical tape, etc.)
• Excess scarring after injury
• History of excess bleeding after cut
• Chronic or frequent dizziness/fainting, and arm or leg weakness/numbness
• Arthritis
• Tumors
• Mental Illness
• Hepatorenal, cardiovascular musculoskeletal, autoimmune, or neurological disease or disorder
• Predisposition to hypertrophic scarring or keloid formation
• Physical activity limitations
• Consumption of ergogenic-levels of dietary supplements that may affect muscle mass (e.g., creatine, HMB), insulin-like substances, or anabolic/catabolic pro-hormones (e.g., DHEA) within 6 weeks prior to participation
• Consumption of thyroid, androgenic, or other medications known to affect endocrine function
• Consumption of medications known to affect protein metabolism (e.g., prescription-strength corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or acne medication)
• Unwillingness to comply with study procedures
• Weight unstable (variation >5% of bodyweight in last 6-12 months)
• Current or previous tobacco use with last 6 months
• Obesity (body mass index; BMI > 30 kg/m^2)
• Score of less than 14 or greater than 24 on Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire
• Phenylketonuria
• Anyone hospitalized previously for COVID-19 without a cardiovascular workup screening for cardiovascular issues post-infection
• Anyone recovering from COVID-19 infection within the preceding 10 days

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Carbohydrate Control; This condition will consist of a carbohydrate beverage.	Other: Carbohydrate Beverage; This intervention will contain 266 kcals and 73.3 g carbohydrate from a carbohydrate beverage.
Active Comparator: Low-Fat Pork; This condition will consist of consuming 90.2 g of low-fat (4.90% crude fat) ground pork.	Other: 95.1% Lean Pork; This intervention will contain 120 kcals, 4.4 g fat, and 20 g protein from low-fat ground pork.
Experimental: High-Fat Pork; This condition will consist of consuming 109.6 g of high-fat (18.84% crude fat) ground pork.	Other: 81.16% Lean Pork; This intervention will contain 266 kcals, 20.6 g fat, and 20 g protein from high-fat ground pork.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Myofibrillar Fractional Synthetic Rate	Rate of building new protein in skeletal muscle contractile protein	During 5-hour post-prandial period following consumption of the study meal or beverage

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Plasma Amino Acid Concentration	Concentration of amino acids in plasma as determined by LC/MS/MS	During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Plasma Free Fatty Acid Concentration	Concentration of amino acids in plasma as determined by GC-MS	During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Plasma Insulin Concentration	Concentration of insulin in plasma as determined by commercially-available ELISA kits	During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion
Plasma Glucose Concentration	Concentration of glucose in plasma as determined by an automated biochemistry analyzer (YSI)	During the 3-hour post-absorptive period prior to ingestion of the study meal or beverage and throughout the 5-hour post-prandial period following meal ingestion

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Nicholas A Burd, PhD, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 15, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 16, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 16, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): May 25, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 28, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 24, 2023
• Last Verified: August 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 23257

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