Use of branched-chain amino acids for reducing exercise-caused skeletal muscle damage

Abstract

Introduction: Skeletal muscles damage (direct and vicarious) slows down the recovery processes in patients with injuries of the musculoskeletal system. It occurs in the early postoperative period as well. An increase in the rigidity of the skeletal muscle extracellular matrix can reduce pain, tissue swelling, and accelerate the recovery of contractility.Objective: The analyses of the effect of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) intake on the expression of IGF1 genes, type 1, 3 and 5 collagen, which are crucial in the composition of the skeletal muscle extracellular matrix, as well as on the muscle membrane damage against the background of chronic damage to skeletal muscles.Material and methods: 12 young healthy male subjects, skiers aged 19 (18; 22) received a placebo treatment (maltodextrin, 100 mg/kg body weight/day; n = 6) or a mixture of amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine – 50:25:20 mg/kg body weight/day respectively; n = 6). The treatment was received daily against the background of a large amount of aerobic high-intensity training (up to 22 hours per week). Before and after the amino acids intake a biopsy of the musculus vastus lateralis was performed, and venous blood samples were taken during the experiment.Results: The intake of leucine against the background of training led not only to a pronounced increase in the level of IGF1 protein in blood by 1.5 times (which corresponds to the literature data), but also to a trend towards an increase in the expression of IGF1Ea mRNA by 1.8 times in the skeletal muscle, and a decrease in the level of markers of muscle membranes damage – creatine phosphokinase (CPK) activity and myoglobin. In addition, changes in the IGF1-dependent collagen genes expression strongly correlated with changes in IGF1Ea expression, but not with IGF1 protein in blood (pooled group, n = 12). Thus, the intake of leucine as a part of the essential amino acids can reduce damage to skeletal muscles caused by excessive physical activity, lack of physical activity, or direct trauma.Conclusion: A 10-week BCAAs intake by individuals with documented chronic muscle membrane damage caused an increase of basal levels of IGF1 in blood and a trend towards increased IGF1Ea mRNA expression in skeletal muscle, and also caused a modest reduction in damage of skeletal muscle membrane.