Abstract
Oxidative stress and inflammation may contribute to anabolic resistance in response to protein and exercise in older adults. We investigated whether consumption of montmorency cherry concentrate (MCC) increased anabolic sensitivity to protein ingestion and resistance exercise in healthy older men. Sixteen healthy older men were randomized to receive MCC (60 mL·d-1) or placebo (PLA) for two weeks, after baseline measures in week 1. During week 3, participants consumed 10 g whey protein·d-1 and completed three bouts of unilateral leg resistance exercise (4 × 8-10 repetitions at 80% 1RM). Participants consumed a bolus (150 mL) and weekly (50 mL) doses of deuterated water. Body water 2H enrichment was measured in saliva and vastus lateralis biopsies were taken from the non-exercised leg after weeks 1, 2 and 3, and the exercised leg after week 3, to measure tracer incorporation at rest, in response to protein and protein + exercise. Myofibrillar protein synthesis increased in response to exercise + protein compared to rest (p < 0.05) in both groups, but there was no added effect of supplement (MCC: 1.79 ± 0.75 EX vs 1.15 ± 0.40 rest; PLA: 2.22 ± 0.54 vs 1.21 ± 0.18; all %·d-1). Muscle total NFĸB protein was decreased with exercise and protein in MCC (NFĸB: -20.7 ± 17.5%) but increased in PLA (NFĸB: 17.8 ± 31.3%, p = 0.073). Short-term MCC ingestion does not affect the anabolic response to protein and exercise in healthy, relatively active, older men, despite MCC ingestion attenuating expression of proteins involved in the muscle inflammatory response to exercise, which may influence the chronic training response.
Highlights
Progressive age-related loss of muscle mass commences in the 4/5th decade and accelerates from the 6th decade onwards with per annum losses in the order of 0.5 – 1.5% [1], and ~ 1.5 % per annum strength losses [2]
We investigated whether consumption of montmorency cherry concentrate (MCC) increased anabolic sensitivity to protein ingestion and resistance exercise in healthy older men
Our aim was to determine whether two weeks of daily montmorency cherry concentrate (MCC) supplementation enhanced the anabolic response to protein supplementation and resistance exercise in healthy older men, measured as free-living myofibrillar protein synthesis using the deuterated water technique [28]
Summary
Progressive age-related loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) commences in the 4/5th decade and accelerates from the 6th decade onwards with per annum losses in the order of 0.5 – 1.5% [1], and ~ 1.5 % per annum strength losses [2]. It is clear that older subjects display resistance to anabolic signals such as provision of essential amino acids [3] and RE [6], resulting in attenuated MPS responses compared to their younger counterparts, which is pivotal to the progression of sarcopenia. The mechanisms underlying this blunted response to feeding and exercise are still unclear, but are likely associated with age-related declines in habitual activity [7; 8], and low level but chronic oxidative stress and inflammation
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