Vegan and Omnivorous Diets and Skeletal Muscle Turnover in Healthy Older Adults (MVP)

The Effects of a High-quality Vegan Diet on Skeletal Muscle Maintenance and Adaptation in Comparison to a Protein-matched Omnivorous Diet in Healthy Older Adults.

Dietary protein intake and physical activity are key to minimise the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass. While animal-derived protein sources are considered high-quality anabolic foods, it remains unclear whether non-animal-derived (vegan) protein sources support skeletal muscle maintenance and healthy ageing. The aim of the present study is to assess the effect of a vegan diet on daily muscle protein synthesis rates compared to a protein-matched omnivorous diet where the majority of protein is derived from high-quality animal-based protein sources.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy Aging
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Controlled diet and resistance exercise

Detailed Description

Background: The age-related loss of muscle mass and strength is (partly) explained by a blunted responsiveness of skeletal muscle to the anabolic properties of dietary protein and muscle contraction. Therefore, sufficient dietary protein intake and physical activity are required to minimise age-related muscle atrophy. It remains unknown whether this can be achieved utilising non-animal-derived (vegan) protein sources.

Objective: To assess daily muscle protein synthesis rates when adopting a vegan or protein-matched omnivorous control diet.

Methods: Healthy older adults (aged 60-80 years) will be randomly allocated to a completely controlled 1-week vegan (providing 0.8 g/kg BW/day protein) or protein-matched omnivorous diet. During this week, participants will perform a set of unilateral leg resistance exercise on day 1, 3, and 5. Deuterium oxide in combination with saliva and muscle sample (from the m. vastus lateralis) collection will be used to measure daily muscle protein synthesis rates in resting and exercised tissue.

Value: This will be the first study assessing daily muscle protein turnover in healthy older adults adopting a 1-week vegan diet. This will contribute to the understanding and viability of vegan protein to support active and healthy ageing.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 22
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Ino van der Heijden, MSc; Phone Number: +441392724774; Email: iv234@exeter.ac.uk
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Benjamin Wall, Prof; Phone Number: +441392724774; Email: B.T.Wall@exeter.ac.uk

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Devond
    • Exeter, Devond, United Kingdom, EX1 2LU
      • University of Exeter

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• BMI between 18.5 - 30
• Active (not very sedentary and not master athlete; assessed via IPAQ)
• Women only: post menopause

Exclusion Criteria:

• Hypertension (>150/90 mmHg)
• Any diagnosed metabolic impairment
• Any diagnosed cardiovascular disease
• Any diagnosed gastrointestinal disease
• Diagnosed cancer
• Any medication known to affect muscle metabolism (e.g. hormone replacement therapy)
• Severe food allergies or intolerances (e.g. celiac, lactose intolerance, allergic to fungi or algae foods)
• Smoking

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Vegan diet; Participants will be allocated to a fully controlled 1-week vegan diet containing 0.8 g/kg BW/day of protein where all protein provided will be derived from non-animal-derived protein sources.	Other: Controlled diet and resistance exercise; Participants will adopt a 1-week completely controlled diet and perform 3 sessions of unilateral leg resistance exercise.
Experimental: Omnivorous diet; Participants will be allocated to a fully controlled 1-week omnivorous diet containing 0.8 g/kg BW/day of protein where the majority of protein will be derived from animal-derived protein sources.	Other: Controlled diet and resistance exercise; Participants will adopt a 1-week completely controlled diet and perform 3 sessions of unilateral leg resistance exercise.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in resting and exercised tissue	Daily MPS rates, expressed as fractional synthetic rate (%/h)	7 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle morphology	Changes in muscle thickness during the intervention period, measured via ultrasound	7 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Exeter

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 9, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 31, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): October 31, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 2, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 2, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): August 14, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 24, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 23, 2024
• Last Verified: April 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Sarcopenia; Resistance exercise; Muscle metabolism; Protein metabolism
• Other Study ID Numbers: 524790

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No