Post-exercise provision of 40 g of protein during whole body resistance training further augments strength adaptations in elderly males

ABSTRACT

Background: In the elderly, low protein intake exacerbates the effects of sarcopenia and anabolic resistance.  Protein supplementation to maximise muscle protein synthesis, may be an effective intervention. Aim: To determine the effects of a low/high dose of protein, ingested immediately post-exercise, during resistance training in novice elderly males. Method: 24 elderly (70.5±5.1, years) males were recruited (body mass: 92.4±14.9 kg; fat free mass: 61.4±7.6 kg).  After exclusion criteria, 18 males participated. Participants continued their normal dietary intake and were allocated into two matched groups, then randomly assigned to either a 20 g or 40 g dose intervention. Following determination of 1 repetition maximum (1RM), participants completed 10 x 3d^-1 wk resistance training and consumed protein supplements immediately following exercise. Results: Significant improvements in chest press (p = 0.014, ɳp² 0.34) shoulder press (p = 0.005, ɳp² 0.43) and leg extension strength (p = 0.014, ɳp² 0.34), were observed following the 40 g dose, resulting in performance improvements of 19.1, 21.1, and 16.1% respectively, compared to the 20 g dose. Conclusion:Findings suggest that ingesting 40 g of protein following resistance exercise, produces greater responses to training and may be an important nutritional strategy when prescribing resistance exercise in the elderly.

KEYWORDS:

• Muscle protein synthesis
• exercise prescription
• anabolic resistance
• sarcopenia
• muscle strength
• fat free mass

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank those who volunteered to take part in the study and Heaven V Hell Gyms

Authors’ contributions

CA, GLC and SAS conceived the study. CA recruited participants and collected the data. SAS performed the statistical analysis. CA, LRM, GLC and SAS contributed to drafts of the manuscript, and all authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Consent for publication and ethical approval

The authors declare that they consent to publication for the manuscript in the present form. This study was approved by the Department of Sport and Physical Activity Research Ethics Committee, Edge Hill University. All participants provided written informed consent to take part in the study.

Disclosure statement

CA, LRM and SAS declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article. GLC has previously worked for Nutrition X.

Availability of Data and Materials

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.