Abstract
Objectives
Healthy eating patterns consist of eating whole foods as opposed to single nutrients. The maintenance of skeletal muscle mass is of particular interest to overall health. As such, there is a need to underpin the role of eating nutrients within their natural whole-food matrix versus isolated nutrients on the regulation of postprandial muscle protein synthesis rates. This study assessed the effects of eating salmon, a potential food within a healthy Mediterranean style eating pattern, on the stimulation of post-exercise muscle protein synthesis rates versus eating these same nutrients in isolation in healthy young adults.
Methods
In a crossover design, 10 recreationally active adults (24 ± 4 y; 5 M, 5 F) performed an acute bout of resistance exercise followed by the ingestion of salmon (SAL) (20.5 g protein and 7.5 g fat) or its matched constituents in the form of crystalline amino acids and fish oil (ISO). Blood and muscle biopsies were collected at rest and after exercise at 2 and 5 h during primed continuous infusions of L-[ring-2H5]phenylalanine for the measurement of myofibrillar protein synthesis and plasma amino acid profiles. Data were analyzed by using a 2-factor (time × condition) repeated-measures ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc test.
Results
Plasma essential amino acid concentrations increased to a similar extent in both SAL and ISO during the postprandial period (P > 0.05). Likewise, postprandial plasma leucine concentrations did not differ between nutrient condition (P > 0.05). The post-exercise myofibrillar protein synthetic responses were similarly stimulated in both nutrition conditions early (0–2 h; 0.079 ± 0.039%/h (SAL) compared to 0.071 ± 0.078%/h (ISO); P = 0.64) and returned to baseline later (2–5 h; 0.046 ± 0.020%/h (SAL) compared to 0.038 ± 0.025%/h (ISO); P = 0.90). Similarly, there were no differences in the stimulation of myofibrillar protein synthesis rates between SAL and ISO during the entire 0–5 h recovery period (0.058 ± 0.024%/h compared to 0.045 ± 0.027%/h, respectively; P = 0.66).
Conclusions
We show that the ingestion of salmon or its isolated nutrients increases plasma amino acid concentrations and enhances the stimulation of post-exercise muscle protein synthesis rates with no differences in the temporal or cumulative responses in healthy young adults.
Funding Sources
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hatch project.