Effect of an EAA/Whey Composition on Protein Metabolism
Condition: Sarcopenia
MeSH terms: Sarcopenia
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Sarcopenia, a progressive loss of muscle mass, strength and function, is an inevitable
      natural process of aging. While it may be impossible to completely reverse the progress of
      sarcopenia, it is well established that intake of dietary protein through essential amino
      acids (EAAs) and whey protein increases anabolic response. The current study will test if a
      specially formulated mixture of EAAs and whey protein can maximally stimulate anabolic
      responses at the levels of whole body and muscle compared to whey protein alone.
    

Detailed description: 
      The product composition is protected by intellectual property. It contains a combination of
      ingredients designed to stimulate anabolic responses at whole body and muscle and to
      ultimately induce long-term improvements in muscle function and size. EAAs are the only
      dietary macronutrients that are required for survival. They are "essential" because the body
      cannot produce them. There are 9 dietary EAAs while there are 11 dietary non-essential amino
      acids that are not required in the diet because they can be produced in the body. The
      composition is based on a blend of 8 of the 9 EAAs. In addition to being the "active"
      components of dietary protein, EAAs also have the advantage over intact protein including
      whey protein because free EAAs are absorbed from the intestine more quickly and more
      completely than amino acids contained in protein, which requires digestion before absorption
      indicating that intact protein is relatively slowly absorbed. Therefore, the combination of
      free EAAs and intact protein give not only an immediate response (from the free EAAs) but
      also a prolonged response (from the intact protein) over time by the slower digestion. The
      idea of combining a specific formulation of EAAs with an intact protein to obtain both an
      immediate as well as a more sustained response in protein anabolism is novel. Investigators
      propose that consumption of the EAA/protein composition will stimulate the net protein
      balance at the whole body level in a dose-dependent manner. The investigators further propose
      that the magnitude of increase in the net protein balance will be greater than induced by the
      consumption of the same amount of whey protein isolate.
    

Intervention name(s): 6.3 g of EAAs mixture and whey protein isolate; 12.6 g of EAAs mixture and whey protein isolate; 12.6 g of whey protein isolate
Intervention type(s): Dietary Supplement; Dietary Supplement; Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): A single dose of the mixture of EAAs/whey; A double dose of the mixture of EAAs/whey; Whey protein isolate alone, which is an equal amount to the double dose of the mixture of EAAs/whey
Other intervention name(s): Essential Blends, Fairbanks, Alaska (AK), and Pure Protein, Bayport, New York (NY); Essential Blends, Fairbanks, AK, and Pure Protein, Bayport, NY; Pure Protein, Bayport, NY
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Crossover Assignment
Intervention model description: Arm 1 and 2: Crossover design for two different doses of the product (~6.3 and 12.6 g of active components).
Arm 3: Parallel comparison equal to the double dose of whey protein isolate (12.6 g)
Masking: Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Basic Science