Clinical trial NCT05998603: Pre-sleep Protein Supplementation and Load Carriage Recovery in British Army Recruits
Official title: Pre-sleep Protein Supplementation Does Not Improve Recovery From Load Carriage in British Army Recruits
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Protein-energy; Imbalance
Muscle Soreness
Lead sponsor: Anglia Ruskin University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: University of Exeter
First posted: 2023-08-21
Enrollment: 122
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 35
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: Load carriage is a common military activity and has been shown to induce acute exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and impair muscle function. Protein supplementation can accelerate muscle recovery by attenuating EIMD and muscle function loss. This study investigated the impact of an additional daily bolus of protein prior to sleep throughout training on acute muscle recovery following a load carriage test in British Army recruits. Muscle function (maximal jump height), perceived muscle soreness and urinary markers of muscle damage were assessed before (PRE), immediately post (POST), 24-hours post (24h-POST) and 40-hours post (40h-POST) a load carriage test.

Detailed description: British Army basic training (BT) is physically demanding with new recruits completing multiple bouts of physical activity each day with limited recovery. Load carriage is one of the most physically demanding BT activities and has been shown to induce acute exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and impair muscle function. Protein supplementation can accelerate muscle recovery by attenuating EIMD and muscle function loss. This study investigated the impact of an additional daily bolus of protein prior to sleep throughout training on acute muscle recovery following a load carriage test in United Kingdom (UK) British Army recruits. A mixed group (men/women) over over 120 new recruits were randomised to dietary control (CON), carbohydrate placebo (PLA), moderate (20g; MOD) or high (60g; HIGH) protein supplementation. Muscle function (maximal jump height), perceived muscle soreness and urinary markers of muscle damage were assessed before (PRE), immediately post (POST), 24-hours post (24h-POST) and 40-hours post (40h-POST) a load carriage test. The underlying aim of this study was to assess whether additional protein intake could attenuate aspects of muscle damage from an acute load carriage test including muscle function, muscle soreness and biomarkers of muscle damage during short term recovery.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Enrolled into British Army basic training
* Medically fit to train and complete the load carriage test

Exclusion Criteria:

* Not taking any other nutritional supplement
* Pregnant

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in lower body muscle function
timeFrame: 40-hours
Secondary outcomes:
measure: The change in urinary myoglobin
timeFrame: 40-hours
measure: The change in urinary 3-methylhistidine
timeFrame: 40-hours
measure: The change in perceived muscle soreness
timeFrame: 40-hours
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Cambridge
country: United Kingdom
facility: Anglia Ruskin University
state: Cambridgeshire
Study officials:
affiliation: Anglia Ruskin University
name: Justin D Roberts, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: