Acute ingestion of both WH and CS after exercise resulted in similar increases in muscle protein net balance, resulting in net muscle protein synthesis despite different patterns of blood amino acid responses.

Timing of nutrient ingestion has been demonstrated to influence the anabolic response of muscle following exercise. Previously, we demonstrated that net amino acid uptake was greater when free essential amino acids plus carbohydrates were ingested before resistance exercise rather than following exercise. However, it is unclear if ingestion of whole proteins before exercise would stimulate a superior response compared with following exercise. This study was designed to examine the response of muscle protein balance to ingestion of whey proteins both before and following resistance exercise. Healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to one of two groups. A solution of whey proteins was consumed either immediately before exercise (PRE; n = 8) or immediately following exercise (POST; n = 9). Each subject performed 10 sets of 8 repetitions of leg extension exercise. Phenylalanine concentrations were measured in femoral arteriovenous samples to determine balance across the leg. Arterial amino acid concentrations were elevated by ∼50%, and net amino acid balance switched from negative to positive following ingestion of proteins at either time. Amino acid uptake was not significantly different between PRE and POST when calculated from the beginning of exercise (67 ± 22 and 27 ± 10 for PRE and POST, respectively) or from the ingestion of each drink (60 ± 17 and 63 ± 15 for PRE and POST, respectively). Thus the response of net muscle protein balance to timing of intact protein ingestion does not respond as does that of the combination of free amino acids and carbohydrate

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies have shown that intramyocellular lipids (IMCL) and liver fat (LFAT) levels vary with insulin sensitivity and obesity, which are common in the elderly. Thus, magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to investigate the hypothesis that IMCL and LFAT are increased in the elderly. IMCL and LFAT in young (aged 20-32 yr) and elderly (aged 65-74 yr) were measured fasted, and glucose, insulin, total free fatty acids levels, and free fatty acids profiles were measured during a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test. Body fat percentage was determined with dual x-ray absorptiometry. The elderly had significantly greater IMCL (0.12 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.08 +/- 0.01, mean +/- sem; P = 0.01) and LFAT (0.28 +/- 0.06 vs. 0.08 +/- 0.01; P = 0.004; expressed as ratios to Intralipid standard) than the young. The elderly had increased insulin resistance as calculated by the Matsuda model compared with the young (5.1 +/- 0.9 vs. 9.9 +/- 1.4; P = 0.02). Regression analysis of all subjects indicated that the increases in IMCL and LFAT were correlated with insulin sensitivity, glycosylated hemoglobin, plasma lipids, and body fat. Furthermore, the correlation between insulin sensitivity and IMCL and LFAT remained significant, after accounting for the effect of body fat. Increases of IMCL and LFAT occur in elderly individuals and may be related to insulin resistance.

Prolonged inactivity and hypercortisolemia represents a persistent catabolic stimulus that exacerbates strength and lean muscle loss via a chronic reduction in muscle protein synthesis.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of ingestion of 100 g of carbohydrates on net muscle protein balance (protein synthesis minus protein breakdown) after resistance exercise. Two groups of eight subjects performed a resistance exercise bout (10 sets of 8 repetitions of leg presses at 80% of 1-repetition maximum) before they rested in bed for 4 h. One group (CHO) received a drink consisting of 100 g of carbohydrates 1 h postexercise. The other group (Pla) received a noncaloric placebo drink. Leg amino acid metabolism was determined by infusion of 2H5- or 13C6-labeled phenylalanine, sampling from femoral artery and vein, and muscle biopsies from vastus lateralis. Drink intake did not affect arterial insulin concentration in Pla, whereas insulin increased several times after the drink in CHO (P < 0.05 vs. Pla). Arterial phenylalanine concentration fell slightly after the drink in CHO. Net muscle protein balance between synthesis and breakdown did not change in Pla, whereas it improved in CHO from -17 +/- 3 nmol.ml(-1).100 ml leg(-1) before drink to an average of -4 +/- 4 and 0 +/- 3 nmol.ml(-1).100 ml leg(-1) during the second and third hour after the drink, respectively (P < 0.05 vs. Pla during last hour). The improved net balance in CHO was due primarily to a progressive decrease in muscle protein breakdown. We conclude that ingestion of carbohydrates improved net leg protein balance after resistance exercise. However, the effect was minor and delayed compared with the previously reported effect of ingestion of amino acids.