Plant Protein Blend Ingestion Stimulates Postexercise Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis Rates Equivalently to Whey in Resistance-Trained Adults

• Published in: Medicine and science in sports and exercise 2024-08, Vol.56 (8), p.1467-1479
• Main Authors: VAN DER Heijden, Ino, Monteyne, Alistair J, West, Sam, Morton, James P, Langan-Evans, Carl, Hearris, Mark A, Abdelrahman, Doaa R, Murton, Andrew J, Stephens, Francis B, Wall, Benjamin T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Amino Acids - administration & dosage; Amino Acids - blood; Cross-Over Studies; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; Male; Muscle Proteins - biosynthesis; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; Myofibrils - metabolism; Oryza; Phenylalanine - administration & dosage; Phenylalanine - blood; Plant Proteins - administration & dosage; Postprandial Period; Resistance Training; Whey Proteins - administration & dosage; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0195-9131; 1530-0315; 1530-0315
• DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003432

Whey protein ingestion is typically considered an optimal dietary strategy to maximize myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) after resistance exercise. Although single-source plant protein ingestion is typically less effective, at least partly, due to less favorable amino acid profiles, this could theoretically be overcome by blending plant-based proteins with complementary amino acid profiles. We compared the postexercise MyoPS response after the ingestion of a novel plant-derived protein blend with an isonitrogenous bolus of whey protein. Ten healthy, resistance-trained, young adults (male/female: 8/2; age: 26 ± 6 yr; BMI: 24 ± 3 kg·m -2 ) received a primed continuous infusion of L-[ ring - 2 H 5 ]-phenylalanine and completed a bout of bilateral leg resistance exercise before ingesting 32 g protein from whey (WHEY) or a plant protein blend (BLEND; 39.5% pea, 39.5% brown rice, 21.0% canola) in a randomized, double-blind crossover fashion. Blood and muscle samples were collected at rest, and 2 and 4 h after exercise and protein ingestion, to assess plasma amino acid concentrations, and postabsorptive and postexercise MyoPS rates. Plasma essential amino acid availability over the 4 h postprandial postexercise period was ~44% higher in WHEY compared with BLEND ( P = 0.04). From equivalent postabsorptive values (WHEY, 0.042 ± 0.020%·h -1 ; BLEND, 0.043 ± 0.015%·h -1 ) MyoPS rates increased after exercise and protein ingestion (time effect; P < 0.001) over a 0- to 2-h period (WHEY, 0.085 ± 0.037%·h -1 ; BLEND, 0.080 ± 0.037%·h -1 ) and 2- to 4-h period (WHEY, 0.085 ± 0.036%·h -1 ; BLEND, 0.086 ± 0.034%·h -1 ), with no differences between conditions during either period or throughout the entire (0-4 h) postprandial period (time-condition interactions; all P > 0.05). Ingestion of a novel plant-based protein blend stimulates postexercise MyoPS to an equivalent extent as whey protein, demonstrating the utility of plant protein blends to optimize postexercise skeletal muscle reconditioning.