Abstract
Nutritional supplements are popular among athletes to improve performance and physical recovery. Protein supplements fulfill this function by improving performance and increasing muscle mass; however, their effect on other organs or systems is less well known. Diet alterations can induce gut microbiota imbalance, with beneficial or deleterious consequences for the host. To test this, we performed a randomized pilot study in cross-country runners whose diets were complemented with a protein supplement (whey isolate and beef hydrolysate) (n = 12) or maltodextrin (control) (n = 12) for 10 weeks. Microbiota, water content, pH, ammonia, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were analyzed in fecal samples, whereas malondialdehyde levels (oxidative stress marker) were determined in plasma and urine. Fecal pH, water content, ammonia, and SCFA concentrations did not change, indicating that protein supplementation did not increase the presence of these fermentation-derived metabolites. Similarly, it had no impact on plasma or urine malondialdehyde levels; however, it increased the abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum and decreased the presence of health-related taxa including Roseburia, Blautia, and Bifidobacterium longum. Thus, long-term protein supplementation may have a negative impact on gut microbiota. Further research is needed to establish the impact of protein supplements on gut microbiota.
Highlights
The World Health Organization recommendation for protein intake in adults, considering a net nitrogen balance, is 0.83 g/kg body weight/day
There was no difference in age, body mass index (BMI), and body composition parameters at baseline between the groups (Table 3)
The main finding is that 10 weeks consumption of a protein supplement, which results in knowledge, this is the first study to examine the effect of a protein supplement on the gut microbiota a small but significant increase in the daily protein intake of athletes, induces significant changes in of athletes
Summary
The World Health Organization recommendation for protein intake in adults, considering a net nitrogen balance, is 0.83 g/kg body weight/day. Medicine recommend an intake range from 1.2 to 2 g/kg body weight/day for endurance- and strength-trained athletes [1]. These recommendations are based on the net nitrogen balance, Nutrients 2018, 10, 337; doi:10.3390/nu10030337 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients. Several studies have shown that intake of protein supplements increases muscle mass and improves sports performance [4,5], providing context for their popularity [6]; their effects on organs other than muscle have been poorly studied. The gut microbiota is an important factor that shapes both energy harvest and storage through the metabolism of proteins and the production of several metabolites: branched short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), ammonia, sulfur-containing metabolites such as hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol, and neuroactive compounds such as tryptamine, serotonin, phenethylamine, and histamine [8,9]
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