Yeast Protein for Muscle Mass

Phase 3Not Yet RecruitingNCT07561619

University of Alberta72 enrolled

Overview

Protein supplementation is said to be one of the cost-efficient and practical strategies to meet protein needs for growth and exercise, and can help maximize muscle gain from resistance exercise. It facilitates faster recovery from stress-induced tissue damage and enhances performance output. Protein sources derived from animal products are generally recognized as the highest quality protein. However, altering the protein composition of a protein source can improve the protein quality. The yeast protein supplement the investigators will use in this study has a similar amino acid composition to whey protein, which is derived from an animal product, but it is produced more sustainably. The study aims to compare the effects of yeast and whey protein on muscle mass over 16 weeks.

This is a double-blinded randomized clinical trial of a 16-week nutrition intervention with yeast and whey protein in 72 people (36 per group; 18 male and 18 female) between the ages of 18 and 35, recruited from the University of Alberta campus, Edmonton, Canada. Consenting participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: whey protein or yeast protein by the study coordinator, who will not collect study outcome measurements or analyze the data. The goal of the trial is to determine if consumption of 40 g per day of yeast protein produces similar effects to 40 g supplementation with whey protein. It is anticipated that daily yeast protein consumption will show similar gains in muscle mass and improvement in immune function, increased diversity in gut microbiota, and amino acid-derived metabolites compared to whey protein.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

TRIPLE

Enrollment

Interventions

Yeast ProteinDIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

60g of protein supplement (40g of protein). Oral administration, 30g during exercise and anytime after exercise, or 30g in the morning and evening if no exercise is performed for a period of 16 weeks.

Resistance Training ExercisesOTHER

Lower and upper body resistance training exercises 3 times a week for 16 weeks

Whey ProteinDIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 35 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Participants must have the ability to read, understand, and sign an informed consent and must be willing to comply with study treatment and follow-up. * Prior resistance training experience (defined as performing resistance exercises \>1/week for the past 3 months or longer) to enable them to reach a large training stimulus relatively quickly and to avoid the longer phase of neuromuscular adaptations * ≥18 years and \<35 years of age Exclusion Criteria: * Diabetes, musculoskeletal disease, cancer, Crohn's disease, or any other acute or chronic condition that interferes (or the medication prescribed for those conditions) with muscle anabolism. * Diagnosed with or being treated for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure 130/80 mmHg or higher * Pain/discomfort/pressure in the chest during activities of daily living or physical activity * Pregnant or not on adequate contraception. * A known hypersensitivity/allergy to ingredients in the supplements. * Inflammatory bowel diseases * Enrolment in any other clinical protocol or investigational study that may interfere with study procedures * Taking antibiotics

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Changes in muscle mass

The primary outcome of the study is the change in muscle mass. It is hypothesized that participants consuming yeast protein will show an increase in appendicular lean mass similar to that observed with whey protein.

Time frame: 16 weeks

Secondary Outcomes

Changes in muscle function, inflammatory biomarkers, oxidative stress markers, gut microbiota and metabolites

The secondary outcomes of the study include changes in muscle function, which will be assessed through one repetition maximum (1RM) testing for both the bench press and leg press. Additionally, the investigators will evaluate inflammatory biomarkers, specifically plasma cytokines, as well as oxidative stress markers such as glutathione, total antioxidant capacity, and protein carbonyl levels. The study will also investigate gut microbiota and metabolites. The investigators hypothesize that the secondary outcomes will show similar effects in participants taking yeast protein compared to those taking whey protein.