Pre-Sleep protein ingestion stimulates mitochondrial protein synthesis rates during postexercise overnight recovery

Methods

Thirty-six healthy, young men performed a single bout of endurance-type exercise in the evening (19:45 h) after a full day of dietary standardization. Thirty min prior to sleep (23:30 h), subjects ingested 45 g casein protein, 45 g whey protein, or a noncaloric placebo. Continuous intravenous L-[ring-13C6]-phenylalanine infusions were applied, with blood and muscle tissue samples being collected to assess overnight mitochondrial and myofibrillar protein synthesis rates. Overnight muscle protein synthesis rates were compared between treatments with a one-way ANOVA with a Bonferroni correction.

Results

Protein ingestion resulted in higher mitochondrial (0.087±0.020 vs 0.067±0.016 %·h-1, P=0.005) and myofibrillar (0.060±0.014 vs 0.047±0.011 %·h-1, P=0.012) protein synthesis rates when compared to placebo. Casein and whey protein ingestion did not differ in their capacity to stimulate mitochondrial (0.082±0.019 vs 0.092±0.020 %·h-1, P=0.690) and myofibrillar (0.056±0.009 vs 0.064±0.018 %·h-1, P=0.440) protein synthesis rates.

Conclusion

Protein ingestion prior to sleep stimulates both mitochondrial and myofibrillar protein synthesis rates during overnight recovery from endurance exercise. There is no apparent difference in the capacity of pre-sleep whey or casein protein ingestion on overnight muscle protein synthesis rates.

Authors: Van Lieshout, G., Trommelen, J., Nyakayiru,  J., Senden, J., Goessens, J., Gijsen, A., Verdijk, L., Van Loon, L.