View clinical trials related to Dietary Protein.
Filter by:Developing tools to detect when our bodies are more resistant towards protein synthesis is valuable for identification of when someone may be at risk of losing body or muscle mass such as with aging or certain diseases. The current study aims to refine our previous breath test method to be more effective at measuring changes in how the body processes protein in different situations, such as resting, reducing physical activity, and doing resistance exercise. We hypothesize that using a lower amount of dietary amino acids in our breath test will be effective at detecting lower amounts of amino acids used after exercise, and a greater amount with step reduction compared to normal activity levels
Dietary proteins potently augment muscle protein synthesis. Because of poorer anabolic sensitivity with ageing, studies and guidelines recommend higher dietary protein intake for older adults. Although higher doses would benefit skeletal muscle remodelling, large protein consumption is not feasible for many older adults. To circumvent, high-protein quality which possesses a high amino acid profile and digestibility appears to have an emergent role for supporting anabolism. Since currently the best line of defence against age related muscle loss is resistance exercise training and regular protein consumption, emphasising high-quality protein ingestion, such as whey protein, within meals may be feasible and efficacious in supporting musculoskeletal remodelling in older adults, without requirement for large protein doses. The investigators propose that at low doses, high quality protein will have additive benefit to muscle protein synthesis compared to low-quality protein. Further, combining high-quality protein diets with resistance exercise training will have more profound benefits for muscle protein synthesis and muscle remodelling more so than low-quality protein diets.
The maintenance of lean body mass, especially skeletal muscle, is vital for optimal health and performance across the lifespan. The protein component of lean body mass is in a constant state of turnover, involving the simultaneous breakdown of old and/or damaged proteins and the synthesis of new proteins. These processes collectively determine if someone gains or loses lean body mass. Eating a protein-rich meal or performing resistance exercise can stimulate protein synthesis to gain lean body mass. Stable isotope "tracers" are amino acid building blocks that are slightly heavier than those naturally found in the body. In research, these are often used to assess changes in protein turnover in response to feeding and/or exercise. However, traditional stable isotope tracer methods involve the intravenous delivery of a tracer with blood sampling and muscle biopsies, which may be cumbersome or unfeasible for some for participants. The investigators have recently developed and validated a non-invasive 'breath test' in males that measures the efficiency of the body for using amino acids in food to build new body proteins. The principle of this method is that leucine, an essential amino acid that the body must acquire from normal diet, can be used to build new body proteins or as a source of energy (i.e., oxidized). Since leucine is preferentially used in skeletal muscle, skeletal muscle protein metabolism can be non-invasively inferred . Any leucine "tracer" that is oxidized can be detected and measured in the carbon dioxide exhaled. It has been observed that less dietary leucine is oxidized when active males perform a bout of resistance exercise, meaning more was used to build muscle proteins. When performed habitually, resistance exercise can help skeletal muscles grow, compared to a rested-state, resulting in greater leucine retention in the body to build new proteins. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to validate this non-invasive breath test in females to increase the validity of the method in a wider range of populations. Ultimately, the results will further validate this non-invasive tool that can potentially detect whether different populations are sensitive to dietary amino acids and in a position to gain or lose lean body mass.
Recent work in the investigators laboratory has examined the ability of a non-invasive 13CO2 breath-test to assess differences in amino acid oxidation rates and net balance in young healthy males following protein feeding and resistance exercise. The investigators aim to test the efficacy of this non-invasive 13CO2 breath-test to assess for differences in anabolic sensitivity between young and older adults following an acute period of habitual and reduced physical activity.
Acute exercise increases the incorporation of dietary amino acids into de novo myofibrillar proteins after a single meal in controlled laboratory studies in males. It is unclear if this extends to free-living settings or is influenced by training or sex. Over 24 h in a free-living setting, the investigators determined the effect of training status and sex on dietary phenylalanine incorporation into contractile myofibrillar and noncontractile sarcoplasmic proteins after exercise.
High protein low carbohydrate diets have become popular in recent years to help facilitate weight loss. It is controversial if these diets are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The investigators propose to administer high and low protein shakes to participants and measure effects on circulating monocytes, immune cells critical to the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. In order to study circulating monocytes, blood will be collected from the study participants just prior to drinking the shake, and then 1 and 4 hours after drinking the shake. In order to assess functional effects on monocytes, investigators will perform a series of assays comparing the results between individuals who drank high protein vs low protein shakes.
Physical inactivity results in reductions in glucose tolerance and less sensitivity to insulin. If this inactivity lasts long enough it can result in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. A high protein diet can reduce elevated glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Thus the investigators are interested in establishing if during a period of inactivity if a diet modification can minimize the glucose changes normally observed with inactivity. The objective of this project is to determine if short-term high protein (HP) feeding protects against the changes in glucose levels normally observed with physical inactivity. The investigators will also examine measures of blood vessel function, blood lipid and blood pressure. Twelve subjects will complete two 10 day study periods of reduced physical activity and will be studied before and after each of these study periods. For their testing subjects will have the following measurements: postprandial glucose responses to a mixed meal, 24 h free living blood pressure control during acute physical inactivity, blood lipids, changes in body composition, changes in circadian rhythm using skin temperature (ibutton), measurement of aerobic capacity (VO2 max), blood vessel responsiveness (flow mediated dilation -FMD) and changes in free living glucose levels (continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS). Subjects will complete two conditions (high protein -HP vs normal protein - NP diets) in a randomized cross-over design. In the inactive phase subjects will reduce there steps to <5,000 steps/d while consuming either a HP or NP diet. Completion of the study will take 8-10 weeks.
12 elderly (65-70 years of age) male subjects will be included and complete a double blinded cross-over study. They will be habituated for 21 days to either low or high protein intake (below 0.8 g/kg or above 1.5 g/kg, respectively). Following a 45 day washout period they will switch to the alternate group. At the end of each habituation period, the investigators will measure the appearance of labelled amino acids from milk proteins.