Peanut Protein Supplementation to Augment Muscle Growth and Improve Markers of Muscle Quality and Health in Older Adults

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study will evaluate the adaptations in skeletal muscle that occur in response to 10 weeks of weight training with or without peanut protein supplementation in older adult men and women.

Detailed Description
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Aging is associated with declines in muscle mass, physical strength and physical function. Adequate quality protein intake in aging adults is critical to preventing functional decline. Peanuts provide a unique blend of amino acids that can provide several health benefits to aging adults. While supplementing with peanut protein (PP) powder as part of a resistance training program may increase myofibrillar protein synthesis (i.e., the gold standard molecular assessment in deciphering a muscle-building response), and improve skeletal muscle quality and body composition, no study to date has made this determination. This is a two-phase study using both novel and conventional methods to assess how PP supplementation affects muscle tissue in older individuals who engage in resistance training. These two phases will be conducted as part of a 10-week randomized controlled trial in which men and women aged 50 years and older (n=60), will be stratified by gender and randomized to a resistance training intervention (whole body, two days per week) with PP powder (72g daily; n=15 males, n=15 females) provided during the intervention (immediate group, IG) or after the intervention (wait-list control, WLC, n=15 males, n=15 females). The aims of this study are to determine the acute (deuterium oxide tracer) and chronic (peripheral quantitative computed tomography) effects of PP during resistance training on skeletal muscle myofibrillar protein synthesis rates, changes in skeletal muscle size and quality, changes in whole and appendicular body composition (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry), changes in inflammatory markers and the fecal microbiome.

Official Title
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Open-label Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating the Effects of Peanut Protein Powder Supplement on Muscle Growth, Muscle Quality and Other Health Biomarkers in Older Adults Engaging in a Ten-week, Whole-body Resistance Training Program

Conditions
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Aging, Sarcopenia

Intervention / Treatment
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* Dietary Supplement: Peanut Protein Powder
* Behavioral: Full body resistance training


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: body mass index (body mass/height squared) less than 35 kg/m2 resting blood pressure averaging less than 140/90 mmHg (with or without medication) Exclusion Criteria: known peanut allergy actively participating in resistance training for more than 2 days/week any known overt cardiovascular or metabolic disease metal implants that will interfere with x-ray procedures medically necessary radiation exposure in the last six months (except dental x-ray) any medical condition that would contradict participating in an exercise program, giving blood or donating a skeletal muscle biopsy (i.e. blood clotting disorder or taking blood thinners)

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 50 Years
Maximum Age: 80 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Intervention group will receive the supplement during the study period and the wait-listed control group will receive the supplement after the study period. Both groups will participate in resistance training during the 10 week period
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Immediate Intervention Group<br>Participants will complete 10 weeks of twice-weekly whole body resistance training. Peanut protein powder (72g/day) will be provided for daily consumption during the study period | Dietary Supplement: Peanut Protein Powder<br>* Peanut protein powder will be provided to participants who will be instructed to consume 72g daily, mixed with water<br>Behavioral: Full body resistance training<br>* Participants will undergo supervised resistance training two times per week (5 exercises, 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions per set)<br>|
| Active Comparator: Wait-list Control Group<br>Participants will complete 10 weeks of twice-weekly whole body resistance training. Peanut protein powder will be provided after the study period | Behavioral: Full body resistance training<br>* Participants will undergo supervised resistance training two times per week (5 exercises, 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions per set)<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in acute myofibrillar protein synthesis rates | Change in right leg vastus lateralis myofibrillar protein synthesis rates using the integrated deuterium oxide technique from biopsies immediately before and 24 hours after resistance exercise | 24 hours | 
| Change in mid-thigh skeletal muscle area and quality | peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) cross-sectional image of mid-right thigh assessed for total muscle cross-sectional area, subcutaneous adipose tissue area, total intra- and inter-muscular adipose tissue area and overall muscle density | 0-10 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in whole-body and appendicular body composition | dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) | 0-10 weeks | 
| Change in Type I and II Muscle Fiber Cross-Sectional Area | Muscle biopsy immunofluorescent staining for determination of type I and type II muscle fiber cross sectional area (fCSA) as a cellular determinant of skeletal muscle hypertrophy | 0-10 weeks | 
| Change in leg extensor isokinetic dynamometry | maximal isokinetic right leg extensions on an isokinetic dynamometer (BioDex) | 0-10 weeks | 
| Change in inflammatory biomarkers | serum C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, plasma 8-hydroxy-2'deoxyguanosine | 0-10 weeks | 
| Change in fecal microbiome composition | alpha- and beta-diversity of 16S bacterial rDNA | 0-10 weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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muscle protein synthesis, resistance training, protein supplementation, skeletal muscle physiology, inflammatory cytokines, fecal microbiome, plant protein