Home
MAXIMIZING PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
Posted in..:
Research & Development
Oct 29, 2010
Email this article Printer friendly page Bookmark this article
Ingestion of essential
amino acids and their presence in the blood is a potent stimulus to increase muscle protein synthesis.
Some researchers have hypothesized that there is a limit to how much protein synthesis can be elevated even when essential
amino acids remain elevated. To provide further evidence of this effect, researchers from the United Kingdom measured the time course of increased muscle protein synthesis after the ingestion of 45 grams of whey protein isolate. Blood levels of essential amino acids, particularly leucine, peaked after 60 min and remained elevated 3 hours after ingestion of the
whey protein drink. Rates of
muscle protein synthesis lagged slightly behind the increase in blood leucine peaking at about 90 min after ingestion to levels that were three-fold higher than pre-whey ingestion. After this peak, rates of protein synthesis rapidly returned to baseline despite continued availability of
leucine inside the muscle. The results clearly show that a bolus of whey protein results in a marked but transient increase in protein synthesis. The decline in protein synthesis in the face of increased plasma and muscle levels of leucine and other essential amino acids suggests that there may be a limit to the increase in
muscle protein synthesis possible with a single meal of protein. The results lead one to speculate that pulsing protein in repeated doses is a better strategy than using a single bolus, although future research is required to confirm if this is more effective.
- Atherton PJ, Etheridge T, Watt PW, Wilkinson D, Selby A, Rankin D, Smith K, Rennie MJ. Muscle full effect after oral protein: time-dependent concordance and discordance between human muscle protein synthesis and mTORC1 signaling. Am JClin Nutr. 2010 Nov;92(5):1080-8.
Disclaimer: The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
Return to Top
Report Site Errors Click Here for Important Safety Information
|