Exercise training and protein metabolism: influences of contraction, protein intake, and sex-based differences

2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (5) ◽  
pp. 1692-1701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas A. Burd ◽  
Jason E. Tang ◽  
Daniel R. Moore ◽  
Stuart M. Phillips

Muscle contraction during exercise, whether resistive or endurance in nature, has profound affects on muscle protein turnover that can persist for up to 72 h. It is well established that feeding during the postexercise period is required to bring about a positive net protein balance (muscle protein synthesis − muscle protein breakdown). There is mounting evidence that the timing of ingestion and the protein source during recovery independently regulate the protein synthetic response and influence the extent of muscle hypertrophy. Minor differences in muscle protein turnover appear to exist in young men and women; however, with aging there may be more substantial sex-based differences in response to both feeding and resistance exercise. The recognition of anabolic signaling pathways and molecules are also enhancing our understanding of the regulation of protein turnover following exercise perturbations. In this review we summarize the current understanding of muscle protein turnover in response to exercise and feeding and highlight potential sex-based dimorphisms. Furthermore, we examine the underlying anabolic signaling pathways and molecules that regulate these processes.

1988 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 415-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. L. Morrison ◽  
J. N. A. Gibson ◽  
C. Scrimgeour ◽  
M. J. Rennie

1. We have investigated arteriovenous exchanges of tyrosine and 3-methylhistidine across leg tissue in the postabsorptive state as specific indicators of net protein balance and myofibrillar protein breakdown, respectively, in eight patients with emphysema and in 11 healthy controls. Whole-body protein turnover was measured using l-[1-13C]leucine. 2. Leg efflux of tyrosine was increased by 47% in emphysematous patients compared with normal control subjects, but 3-methylhistidine efflux was not significantly altered. 3. In emphysema, whole-body leucine flux was normal, whole-body leucine oxidation was increased, and whole-body protein synthesis was depressed. 4. These results indicate that the predominant mechanism of muscle wasting in emphysema is a fall in muscle protein synthesis, which is accompanied by an overall fall in whole-body protein turnover.


1987 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. N. A. Gibson ◽  
D. Halliday ◽  
W. L. Morrison ◽  
P. J. Stoward ◽  
G. A. Hornsby ◽  
...  

1. Quadriceps muscle protein turnover was assessed in the post-absorptive state in six men immediately after the end of unilateral leg immobilization (37 ± 4 days) in a plaster cast after tibial fracture. A primed-constant intravenous infusion of l-[1-13C]leucine was administered over 7 h. Quadriceps needle biopsies, taken bilaterally at the end of the infusion, were analysed for muscle protein leucine enrichment with 13C. 2. Quadriceps muscle protein synthetic rate, calculated from the fractional incorporation of [13C]leucine into protein compared with the average enrichment of blood α-ketoisocaproate, was 0.046 ±0.012%/h in the uninjured leg, but was only 0.034 ±0.007%/h in the quadriceps of the previously fractured leg (P > 0.05, means ± sd). 3. Muscle RNA activity (i.e. protein synthetic rate per RNA) fell from 0.27 ±0.08 μg of protein synthesized h−1 μg−1 of RNA in the control leg to 0.14 ±0.03 μg of protein synthesized h−1 μg−1 of RNA in the immobilized leg (P > 0.02). 4. Immobilization was associated with a significant atrophy of type I muscle fibres (mean diameter 69.5 ±21 μm immobilized, 81.1 ±18 μm control, P > 0.05), but no significant change occurred in type II fibre diameter. Mean quadriceps fibre volume calculated from the values for fibre diameter and percentage of each fibre type, was smaller in the injured leg by 10.6%; this value was near to the calculated difference in muscle thigh volume (calculated from thigh circumference and skin-fold thickness) which was less by 8.3%. 5. From estimated mean daily values for quadriceps protein synthetic rate (1.65 ±0.44%/day in the control legs and 1.22±0.28%/day in the injured legs) and change in fibre volume, mean daily muscle protein breakdown rates were calculated as 1.65%/ day and 1.53%/day respectively, suggesting that muscle protein breakdown was not enhanced and may have fallen. 6. The results suggest a decrease in muscle protein turnover during limb immobilization in man, with the decrement in muscle mass being due mainly to a substantial (25%) depression of muscle protein synthesis.


GeroScience ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Cegielski ◽  
Daniel J. Wilkinson ◽  
Matthew S. Brook ◽  
Catherine Boereboom ◽  
Bethan E. Phillips ◽  
...  

AbstractOptimising approaches for measuring skeletal muscle mass and turnover that are widely applicable, minimally invasive and cost effective is crucial in furthering research into sarcopenia and cachexia. Traditional approaches for measurement of muscle protein turnover require infusion of expensive, sterile, isotopically labelled tracers which limits the applicability of these approaches in certain populations (e.g. clinical, frail elderly). To concurrently quantify skeletal muscle mass and muscle protein turnover i.e. muscle protein synthesis (MPS) and muscle protein breakdown (MPB), in elderly human volunteers using stable-isotope labelled tracers i.e. Methyl-[D3]-creatine (D3-Cr), deuterium oxide (D2O), and Methyl-[D3]-3-methylhistidine (D3-3MH), to measure muscle mass, MPS and MPB, respectively. We recruited 10 older males (71 ± 4 y, BMI: 25 ± 4 kg.m2, mean ± SD) into a 4-day study, with DXA and consumption of D2O and D3-Cr tracers on day 1. D3-3MH was consumed on day 3, 24 h prior to returning to the lab. From urine, saliva and blood samples, and a single muscle biopsy (vastus lateralis), we determined muscle mass, MPS and MPB. D3-Cr derived muscle mass was positively correlated to appendicular fat-free mass (AFFM) estimated by DXA (r = 0.69, P = 0.027). Rates of cumulative myofibrillar MPS over 3 days were 0.072%/h (95% CI, 0.064 to 0.081%/h). Whole-body MPB over 6 h was 0.052 (95% CI, 0.038 to 0.067). These rates were similar to previous literature. We demonstrate the potential for D3-Cr to be used alongside D2O and D3-3MH for concurrent measurement of muscle mass, MPS, and MPB using a minimally invasive design, applicable for clinical and frail populations.


Author(s):  
Kevin D. Tipton ◽  
Robert R. Wolfe

Exercise has a profound effect on muscle growth, which can occur only if muscle protein synthesis exceeds muscle protein breakdown; there must be a positive muscle protein balance. Resistance exercise improves muscle protein balance, but, in the absence of food intake, the balance remains negative (i.e., catabolic). The response of muscle protein metabolism to a resistance exercise bout lasts for 24-48 hours; thus, the interaction between protein metabolism and any meals consumed in this period will determine the impact of the diet on muscle hypertrophy. Amino acid availability is an important regulator of muscle protein metabolism. The interaction of postexercise metabolic processes and increased amino acid availability maximizes the stimulation of muscle protein synthesis and results in even greater muscle anabolism than when dietary amino acids are not present. Hormones, especially insulin and testosterone, have important roles as regulators of muscle protein synthesis and muscle hypertrophy. Following exercise, insulin has only a permissive role on muscle protein synthesis, but it appears to inhibit the increase in muscle protein breakdown. Ingestion of only small amounts of amino acids, combined with carbohydrates, can transiently increase muscle protein anabolism, but it has yet to be determined if these transient responses translate into an appreciable increase in muscle mass over a prolonged training period.


2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (6) ◽  
pp. 2026-2039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinod Kumar ◽  
Philip Atherton ◽  
Kenneth Smith ◽  
Michael J. Rennie

Skeletal muscle demonstrates extraordinary mutability in its responses to exercise of different modes, intensity, and duration, which must involve alterations of muscle protein turnover, both acutely and chronically. Here, we bring together information on the alterations in the rates of synthesis and degradation of human muscle protein by different types of exercise and the influences of nutrition, age, and sexual dimorphism. Where possible, we summarize the likely changes in activity of signaling proteins associated with control of protein turnover. Exercise of both the resistance and nonresistance types appears to depress muscle protein synthesis (MPS), whereas muscle protein breakdown (MPB) probably remains unchanged during exercise. However, both MPS and MPB are elevated after exercise in the fasted state, when net muscle protein balance remains negative. Positive net balance is achieved only when amino acid availability is increased, thereby raising MPS markedly. However, postexercise-increased amino acid availability is less important for inhibiting MPB than insulin, the secretion of which is stimulated most by glucose availability, without itself stimulating MPS. Exercise training appears to increase basal muscle protein turnover, with differential responses of the myofibrillar and mitochondrial protein fractions to acute exercise in the trained state. Aging reduces the responses of myofibrillar protein and anabolic signaling to resistance exercise. There appear to be few, if any, differences in the response of young women and young men to acute exercise, although there are indications that, in older women, the responses may be blunted more than in older men.


2010 ◽  
Vol 299 (2) ◽  
pp. R533-R540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin L. Glynn ◽  
Christopher S. Fry ◽  
Micah J. Drummond ◽  
Hans C. Dreyer ◽  
Shaheen Dhanani ◽  
...  

Muscle protein breakdown (MPB) is increased following resistance exercise, but ingestion of carbohydrate during postexercise recovery can decrease MPB with no effect on muscle protein synthesis (MPS). We sought to determine whether a combination of essential amino acids (EAA) with low carbohydrate or high carbohydrate could effectively reduce MPB following resistance exercise and improve muscle protein net balance (NB). We hypothesized that higher levels of carbohydrate and resulting increases in circulating insulin would inhibit MPB and associated signaling, resulting in augmented NB. Thirteen male subjects were assigned to one of two groups receiving equivalent amounts of EAA (∼20 g) but differing carbohydrate levels (low = 30, high = 90 g). Groups ingested nutrients 1 h after an acute bout of leg resistance exercise. Leg phenylalanine kinetics (e.g., MPB, MPS, NB), signaling proteins, and mRNA expression were assessed on successive muscle biopsies using stable isotopic techniques, immunoblotting, and real-time quantitative PCR, respectively. MPB tended to decrease ( P < 0.1) and MPS increased ( P < 0.05) similarly in both groups following nutrient ingestion. No group differences were observed, but muscle ring finger 1 (MuRF1) protein content and MuRF1 mRNA expression increased following resistance exercise and remained elevated following nutrient ingestion, while autophagy marker (light-chain 3B-II) decreased after nutrient ingestion ( P < 0.05). Forkhead box-O3a phosphorylation, total muscle atrophy F-box (MAFbx) protein, and MAFbx and caspase-3 mRNA expression were unchanged. We conclude that the enhanced muscle protein anabolic response detected when EAA+carbohydrate are ingested postresistance exercise is primarily due to an increase in MPS with minor changes in MPB, regardless of carbohydrate dose or circulating insulin level.


1984 ◽  
Vol 217 (2) ◽  
pp. 471-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
W J Carter ◽  
W S van der Weijden Benjamin ◽  
F H Faas

Although protein turnover in skeletal muscle is increased in hyperthyroidism and decreased in hypothyroidism, a deficient protein intake tends to increase serum T3 (tri-iodothyronine) while decreasing muscle protein turnover. To determine whether this diet-induced decrease in protein turnover can occur independent of thyroid status, we have examined muscle protein turnover and nitrogen conservation in hyperthyroid rats fed on a protein-free diet. After inducing hyperthyroidism by giving 20 micrograms of T3/100g body wt. daily for 7 days, groups of euthyroid and hyperthyroid animals were divided into subgroups fed on basal and protein-free diets. Muscle protein turnover was measured by N tau-methylhistidine excretion and [14C]tyrosine infusion. Urinary nitrogen output of euthyroid and hyperthyroid animals fed on the protein-free diet was also measured. Although hyperthyroidism increased the baseline rates of muscle protein synthesis and degradation, it did not prevent a decrease in these values in response to protein depletion. Furthermore, hyperthyroid rats showed greatly decreased nitrogen excretion in response to the protein-free diet, although not to values for euthyroid rats. These findings suggest that protein depletion made the experimental animals less responsive to the protein-catabolic effects of T3.


1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (4) ◽  
pp. E470-E476 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Carraro ◽  
C. A. Stuart ◽  
W. H. Hartl ◽  
J. Rosenblatt ◽  
R. R. Wolfe

Previous studies using indirect means to assess the response of protein metabolism to exercise have led to conflicting conclusions. Therefore, in this study we have measured the rate of muscle protein synthesis in normal volunteers at rest, at the end of 4 h of aerobic exercise (40% maximal O2 consumption), and after 4 h of recovery by determining directly the rate of incorporation of 1,2-[13C]leucine into muscle. The rate of muscle protein breakdown was assessed by 3-methylhistidine (3-MH) excretion, and total urinary nitrogen excretion was also measured. There was an insignificant increase in 3-MH excretion in exercise of 37% and a significant increase (P less than 0.05) of 85% during 4 h of recovery from exercise (0.079 +/- 0.008 vs. 0.147 +/- 0.0338 mumol.kg-1.min-1 for rest and recovery from exercise, respectively). Nonetheless, there was no effect of exercise on total nitrogen excretion. Muscle fractional synthetic rate was not different in the exercise vs. the control group at the end of exercise (0.0417 +/- 0.004 vs. 0.0477 +/- 0.010%/h for exercise vs. control), but there was a significant increase in fractional synthetic rate in the exercise group during the recovery period (0.0821 +/- 0.006 vs. 0.0654 +/- 0.012%/h for exercise vs. control, P less than 0.05). Thus we conclude that although aerobic exercise may stimulate muscle protein breakdown, this does not result in a significant depletion of muscle mass because muscle protein synthesis is stimulated in recovery.


2001 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 588-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin D. Tipton

Although the causes of sarcopenia are multi-factorial, at least some, such as poor nutrition and inactivity, may be preventable. Changes in muscle mass must be a result of net muscle protein breakdown over that particular time period. Stable isotope methodology has been used to examine the metabolic basis of muscle loss. Net muscle protein breakdown may occur due to a decrease in the basal level of muscle protein synthesis. However, changes of this type would likely be of small magnitude and undetectable by current methodology. Hormonal mediators may also be important, especially in association with forced inactivity. Net muscle protein breakdown may be also attributed to alterations in the periods of net muscle protein synthesis and breakdown each day. Reduced activity, combined with ineffectual nutrient intake, could lead to decreased net muscle protein balance. Chronic resistance exercise training clearly is an effective means of increasing muscle mass and strength in elderly individuals. Although sometimes limited, acute metabolic studies provide valuable information for maintenance of muscle mass with age. Key words: sarcopenia, inactivity, strength training, muscle protein synthesis, muscle hypertrophy


Author(s):  
Kevin J. M. Paulussen ◽  
Rafael A. Alamilla ◽  
Amadeo F. Salvador ◽  
Colleen F. McKenna ◽  
Andrew T. Askow ◽  
...  

Leucine is regarded as an anabolic trigger for the mTORC1 pathway and the stimulation muscle protein synthesis rates. More recently, there has been an interest in underpinning the relevance of BCAA-containing dipeptides and their intact absorption into circulation to regulate muscle anabolic responses. We investigated the effects of dileucine and leucine ingestion on postprandial muscle protein turnover. Ten healthy young men (age: 23±3 y) consumed either 2 g of leucine (LEU) or 2 g of dileucine (DILEU) in a randomized crossover design. The participants underwent repeated blood and muscle biopsy sampling during primed continuous infusions of L-[ring-13C6]phenylalanine and L-[15N]phenylalanine to determine myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS) and mixed muscle protein breakdown rates (MPB), respectively. LEU and DILEU similarly increased plasma leucine net area under the curve (AUC; P = 0.396). DILEU increased plasma dileucine AUC to a greater extent than LEU (P = 0.013). Phosphorylation of Akt (P = 0.002), rpS6 (P <0.001) and p70S6K (P < 0.001) increased over time in both LEU and DILEU conditions. Phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 (P = 0.229) and eEF2 (P = 0.999) did not change over time irrespective of condition. Cumulative (0-180 min) MPS increased in DILEU (0.075±0.032 %⋅hour-1), but not in LEU (0.047±0.029 %⋅hour-1; P=0.023). MPB did not differ between LEU (0.043±0.030 %⋅h-1) and DILEU conditions (0.051±0.027 %⋅hour-1; P = 0.659). Our results showed that dileucine ingestion elevated plasma dileucine concentrations and muscle protein turnover by stimulating MPS in young men.


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