Elite Adolescent Athletes clinical trials

Effect of the Quality of Dietary Proteins on the Sleep Young Elite Athletes and the Obese Adolescent

Adolescence is characterized by major transitions in sleep and circadian rhythm. This rapid pivotal period increases the risks of sleep debt and poor sleep quality, leading to pronounced diurnal fatigue and drowsiness . Some adolescent's populations are more vulnerable than others to poor sleep. Obesity and elite sports involvement are two factors that have been distinctly associated with disturbed sleep. Several studies show that obesity was associated with a decrease in sleep efficiency and increased arousals . On the other hand, recent studies point out that sleep problem is widespread in young athletes which substantially increase the risks of injury, burnout and concussions . Despite the importance of sleep in holistic development, physical (i.e. recovery, metabolism, muscle growth, weight control), cognitive (i.e. learning, memory, decision-making, Vigilance) and athletic performances (Fullagar et al., 2015). A wide range of recent papers emphasize that some nutrients take part in the regulation of internal clock and sleep quality. The effect of tryptophan (Trp) on sleep was lifted on the basis of the serotonergic hypothesis. Serotonin (5-HT) is synthesized from Trp circulating in the brain following two-step procedure in raphe neurons. Serotonin, in turn, is a precursor of melatonin and both molecules contribute to the regulation of sleep-wake behaviors. However, Trp is an essential amino acid, which means that it cannot be synthesized by the organism, and must exclusively be provided via degradation of proteins from the diet. The passage of tryptophan to the brain is assured through carrier disposed at the blood-brain barrier level. However, carrier transport depends on other competitive amino acids (LNAAs: leucine, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine). Therefore, increased brain uptake of tryptophan does not depend only on Trp concentrations but rather on the blood Trp / LNAA ratio. PROTMORPHEUS trial, was designed to examine how supplementation with proteins of different Trp/LNAA ratio affect sleep on adolescents (obese, athletes) with mild sleep disturbances.