Supplementing Breakfast with a Vitamin D and Leucine–Enriched Whey Protein Medical Nutrition Drink Enhances Postprandial Muscle Protein Synthesis and Muscle Mass in Healthy Older Men

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition Vol. 147; no. 12; pp. 2262 - 2271
• Main Authors: Chanet, Audrey, Verlaan, Sjors, Salles, Jérôme, Giraudet, Christophe, Patrac, Véronique, Pidou, Véronique, Pouyet, Corinne, Hafnaoui, Nordine, Blot, Adeline, Cano, Noël, Farigon, Nicolas, Bongers, Anke, Jourdan, Marion, Luiking, Yvette, Walrand, Stéphane, Boirie, Yves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2017; American Institute of Nutrition; American Society for Nutrition
• Subjects: Adults; Aged; Amino acids; Beverages - analysis; Body mass; Body mass index; Body size; Breakfast; Carbohydrates; Control methods; Diet; Double-Blind Method; Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry; Energy Intake; Enrichment; Food Analysis; Food and Nutrition; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Human nutrition; Humans; Leucine; Leucine - administration & dosage; Life Sciences; Male; Meals; Men; Mens health; muscle mass; muscle protein synthesis; Muscle Proteins - biosynthesis; Muscle, Skeletal; Muscles; Muscular system; Nutrition; Older people; Phenylalanine; Postprandial Period; Preservation; Protein biosynthesis; protein intake; Protein synthesis; Proteins; Santé publique et épidémiologie; sarcopenia; Skeletal muscle; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - administration & dosage; Vitamin D3; Whey; Whey protein; Whey Proteins - administration & dosage; Whey Proteins - chemistry; leucine; muscle protein synthesis; AA; Cmax; ALM; protein intake; EAA; FSR; PTH; vitamin D; PASE; SPPB; IGF-1; muscle mass; iAUC; NEFA; hs-CRP; sarcopenia; ED; MMRM; apport nutritionnel; senior citizens; personne âgée; masse musculaire; nutritional support; protein; vitamine D; protéine
• ISSN: 0022-3166; 1541-6100
• DOI: 10.3945/jn.117.252510

A promising strategy to help older adults preserve or build muscle mass is to optimize muscle anabolism through providing an adequate amount of high-quality protein at each meal. This “proof of principle” study investigated the acute effect of supplementing breakfast with a vitamin D and leucine–enriched whey protein medical nutrition drink on postprandial muscle protein synthesis and longer-term effect on muscle mass in healthy older adults. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study was conducted in 24 healthy older men [mean ± SD: age 71 ± 4 y; body mass index (in kg/m2) 24.7 ± 2.8] between September 2012 and October 2013 at the Unit of Human Nutrition, University of Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France. Participants received a medical nutrition drink [test group; 21 g leucine-enriched whey protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat, 800 IU cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), and 628 kJ] or a noncaloric placebo (control group) before breakfast for 6 wk. Mixed muscle protein fractional synthesis rate (FSR) was measured at week 0 in the basal and postprandial state, after study product intake with a standardized breakfast with the use of L-[2H5]-phenylalanine tracer methodology. The longer-term effect of the medical nutrition drink was evaluated by measurement of appendicular lean mass, representing skeletal muscle mass at weeks 0 and 6, by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Postprandial FSR (0–240 min) was higher in the test group than in the control group [estimate of difference (ED): 0.022%/h; 95% CI: 0.010%/h, 0.035%/h; ANCOVA, P = 0.001]. The test group gained more appendicular lean mass than the control group after 6 wk (ED: 0.37 kg; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.72 kg; ANCOVA, P = 0.035), predominantly as leg lean mass (ED: 0.30 kg; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.57 kg; ANCOVA, P = 0.034). Supplementing breakfast with a vitamin D and leucine-enriched whey protein medical nutrition drink stimulated postprandial muscle protein synthesis and increased muscle mass after 6 wk of intervention in healthy older adults and may therefore be a way to support muscle preservation in older people. This trial was registered at www.trialregister.nl as NTR3471.