The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of oral ketone administration during inactivity-induced muscle atrophy and retraining-induced regeneration. Potential changes in muscle function (cycling performance, knee-extension force and power, jump height) and mass, blood flow and the muscular extracellular matrix will be the main focus. In this context, the dominant leg of the participants (n=24) will be immobilized with a brace for 2 weeks and subsequently retrained in a 4-week progressive resistance exercise training program to stimulate muscle regeneration. During the immobilization and rehabilitation period, participants receive either ketone ester (KE) or placebo (CON). 4 experimental sessions are performed during this time frame in order to evaluate the effects of the trial.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
24
A daily dose of 3x20g of ketone ester supplementation during a six week intervention period
A daily dose of 3x12.8g of MCT oil supplementation during a six week intervention period
Exercise Physiology Research Group
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium
RECRUITINGExercise performance
Changes in exercise performance as evaluated during a graded exercise test
Time frame: Day 0 - day 14 - day 28 - day 42
Echo-Doppler measurement of femoral artery
Change in blood flow of arteria femoralis
Time frame: Day 0 - Day 14 - Day 28 - Day 42
Muscle volume
Change in volume of quadriceps evaluated by computed-tomography scan
Time frame: Day 0 - Day 14 - Day 28 - Day 42
Muscular functional capacity
Change in mean power produced during 30 unilateral knee extensions on a knee-extension apparatus
Time frame: Day 0 - Day 14 - Day 28 - Day 42
Skeletal muscle biopsies
Changes in myofibrillar protein synthesis
Time frame: Day 0 - Day 14 - Day 28 - Day 42
Skeletal muscle biopsies
Changes in connective tissue protein synthesis
Time frame: Day 0 - Day 14 - Day 28 - Day 42
Blood marker of collagen synthesis
Change in PINP (n-terminal peptide of pro-collagen I) concentration in blood
Time frame: Day 0 - Day 14 - Day 28 - Day 42
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