Effects of protein-carbohydrate supplementation on immunity and resistance training outcomes: a double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial

Fernando Naclerio, Eneko Larumbe-Zabala, Nadia Ashrafi, Marco Seijo, Birthe Nielsen, Judith Allgrove, Conrad P Earnest, Fernando Naclerio, Eneko Larumbe-Zabala, Nadia Ashrafi, Marco Seijo, Birthe Nielsen, Judith Allgrove, Conrad P Earnest

Abstract

Purpose: To examine the impact of ingesting hydrolyzed beef protein, whey protein, and carbohydrate on resistance training outcomes, body composition, muscle thickness, blood indices of health and salivary human neutrophil peptides (HNP1-3), as reference of humoral immunity followed an 8-week resistance training program in college athletes.

Methods: Twenty-seven recreationally physically active males and females (n = 9 per treatment) were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: hydrolyzed beef protein, whey protein, or non-protein isoenergetic carbohydrate. Treatment consisted of ingesting 20 g of supplement, mixed with orange juice, once a day immediately post-workout or before breakfast on non-training days. Measurements were performed pre- and post-intervention on total load (kg) lifted at the first and last workout, body composition (via plethysmography) vastus medialis thickness (mm) (via ultrasonography), and blood indices of health. Salivary HNP1-3 were determined before and after performing the first and last workout.

Results: Salivary concentration and secretion rates of the HNP1-3 decreased in the beef condition only from pre-first-workout (1.90 ± 0.83 μg/mL; 2.95 ± 2.83 μg/min, respectively) to pre-last-workout (0.92 ± 0.63 μg/mL, p = 0.025, d = 1.03; 0.76 ± 0.74 μg/min, p = 0.049, d = 0.95), and post-last-workout (0.95 ± 0.60 μg/mL, p = 0.032, d = 1.00; 0.59 ± 0.52 μg/min, p = 0.027, d = 1.02). No other significant differences between groups were observed.

Conclusions: Supplementation with a carbohydrate-protein beverage may support resistance training outcomes in a comparable way as the ingestion of only carbohydrate. Furthermore, the ingestion of 20 g of hydrolyzed beef protein resulted in a decreased level and secretion rates of the HNP1-3 from baseline with no negative effect on blood indices of health.

Keywords: Blood indices of health; Body composition; Immune status; Muscle thickness; Strength performance.

Conflict of interest statement

Funding

MEATPROT and the University of Greenwich provided joint funding for the completion of this project; however, this does not affect this original research content and purpose.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this manuscript.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of participants throughout the course of the study
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Acute and long-term changes in the concentration (a) and secretion rates (b) of the alpha-defensins HNP1-3 for the three treatment conditions (mean ± 95% confidence intervals). Statistically significant differences were only found from the baseline levels measured at pre- (before the first workout) to post-intervention, measured at both before and after the last workout for the beef treatment condition for both the concentration (p = 0.025 and p = 0.049) and secretion rates (p = 0.032 and p = 0.027), respectively

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