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Are amino acids better than eating a meal?
Recently, researchers from the University of Texas examined the effects of ingesting a carbohydrate (30 g) and amino acid supplement (15 g of essential amino acids) (CAA) or a meal on protein synthesis. Thirteen men aged 28 to 48 years of age were randomly divided in two tow treatment groups: 1) CAA = 36±10 yrs and 2) Control = 38±8 yr. The CAA and meal were designed to be similar in amino acid content and were administered periodically throughout an 18 hour period. Throughout the day blood and muscle tissue samples were collected in order to assess anabolism. The inclusion of a CAA supplement into a normal diet resulted in a greater anabolic stimulus than the meal treatment as indicated by the ˜25% increase in protein synthesis rate. Additionally, the consumption of only meals throughout the 16 hour study period resulted in a negative net protein balance, while adding frequent CAA supplements resulted in a positive balance. The researchers suggested that the CAA supplement was more effective in maximizing protein synthesis rates as a result of the speed with which the supplement is digested and taken up into the system. Based upon these findings it may be recommended that athletes consume some sort of CAA supplement throughout the day in order to maximize the muscular adaptations to their training regimes and maintain a positive protein balance.
Paddon–Jones D. Sheffield–Moore M, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR, Ferrando AA. (2005). Exogenous amino acids stimulate human muscle anabolism without interfering with the response to mixed meal ingestion. American Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 288:E761– E767.
Recently, researchers from the University of Texas examined the effects of ingesting a carbohydrate (30 g) and amino acid supplement (15 g of essential amino acids) (CAA) or a meal on protein synthesis. Thirteen men aged 28 to 48 years of age were randomly divided in two tow treatment groups: 1) CAA = 36±10 yrs and 2) Control = 38±8 yr. The CAA and meal were designed to be similar in amino acid content and were administered periodically throughout an 18 hour period. Throughout the day blood and muscle tissue samples were collected in order to assess anabolism. The inclusion of a CAA supplement into a normal diet resulted in a greater anabolic stimulus than the meal treatment as indicated by the ˜25% increase in protein synthesis rate. Additionally, the consumption of only meals throughout the 16 hour study period resulted in a negative net protein balance, while adding frequent CAA supplements resulted in a positive balance. The researchers suggested that the CAA supplement was more effective in maximizing protein synthesis rates as a result of the speed with which the supplement is digested and taken up into the system. Based upon these findings it may be recommended that athletes consume some sort of CAA supplement throughout the day in order to maximize the muscular adaptations to their training regimes and maintain a positive protein balance.
Paddon–Jones D. Sheffield–Moore M, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR, Ferrando AA. (2005). Exogenous amino acids stimulate human muscle anabolism without interfering with the response to mixed meal ingestion. American Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 288:E761– E767.
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