Abstract
Endurance exercise alters amino acid (AA) metabolism that necessitates greater AA intake in the post exercise recovery period to support recovery. Thus, daily AA ingestion during a period of endurance training may affect the metabolically active plasma free AA pool, which is otherwise maintained during periods of inadequate protein intake by the breakdown of skeletal muscle proteins. Nine endurance-trained males completed a 4-day running protocol (20 km, 5 km, 10 km and 20 km on days 1–4, respectively) on three occasions with a controlled diet providing different protein intakes [0.94(LOW), 1.20(MOD) or 1.83gprotein kgbody mass−1 day−1 (HIGH)]. Urine collected over 24 h on day-4 and plasma collected after an overnight fast on day-5 were analyzed for free AA (plasma) and 3-methylhistidine (3MH; plasma and urine), a marker of myofibrillar protein breakdown. There was an effect of protein intake (HIGH > MOD/LOW; P < 0.05) on fasted plasma essential AA, branched chain AA and 3MH but no effect on 24-h urinary 3-MH excretion. Consuming a previously determined optimal daily protein intake of 1.83 g kg−1 day−1 during endurance training maintains fasted plasma free AA and may attenuate myofibrillar protein catabolism, although this latter effect was not detected in 24-h urinary excretion. The maintenance of the metabolically active free plasma AA pool may support greater recovery from exercise and contribute to the previously determined greater whole-body net protein balance in this athletic population. TRN: NCT02801344 (June 15, 2016).
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data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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EW, HK, KS, and DRM conceived and designed the experiments; EW, HK, and KAV performed the experiments; EWn and HK analyzed the data; EW wrote the first draft of the manuscript and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Study funding provided to Daniel R. Moore by Ajinomoto Co. Inc. Hiroyuki Kato and Katsuya Suzuki are employees of Ajinomoto Co. Inc. Daniel R. Moore has received research funding from Dairy Management Inc. and Iovate Health Sciences Inc and speakers fees from Gatorade Sports Sciences Institute. Eric Williamson and Kimberly A. Volterman have no financial interests to declare.
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Williamson, E., Kato, H., Volterman, K.A. et al. Greater plasma essential amino acids and lower 3-methylhistidine with higher protein intake during endurance training: a randomised control trial. Amino Acids 55, 1285–1291 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-022-03210-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-022-03210-z