Plant Protein Blend Ingestion Stimulates Postexercise Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis Rates Equivalently to Whey in Resistance-Trained Adults

Abstract

Purpose Whey protein ingestion is typically considered an optimal dietary strategy to maximize myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) after resistance exercise. Although single-source plant protein ingestion is typically less effective, at least partly, due to less favorable amino acid profiles, this could theoretically be overcome by blending plant-based proteins with complementary amino acid profiles. We compared the postexercise MyoPS response after the ingestion of a novel plant-derived protein blend with an isonitrogenous bolus of whey protein. Methods Ten healthy, resistance-trained, young adults (male/female: 8/2; age: 26 ± 6 yr; BMI: 24 ± 3 kg·m-2) received a primed continuous infusion of L-[ring-2H5]-phenylalanine and completed a bout of bilateral leg resistance exercise before ingesting 32 g protein from whey (WHEY) or a plant protein blend (BLEND; 39.5% pea, 39.5% brown rice, 21.0% canola) in a randomized, double-blind crossover fashion. Blood and muscle samples were collected at rest, and 2 and 4 h after exercise and protein ingestion, to assess plasma amino acid concentrations, and postabsorptive and postexercise MyoPS rates. Results Plasma essential amino acid availability over the 4 h postprandial postexercise period was ∼44% higher in WHEY compared with BLEND (P = 0.04). From equivalent postabsorptive values (WHEY, 0.042 ± 0.020%·h-1; BLEND, 0.043 ± 0.015%·h-1) MyoPS rates increased after exercise and protein ingestion (time effect; P < 0.001) over a 0- to 2-h period (WHEY, 0.085 ± 0.037%·h-1; BLEND, 0.080 ± 0.037%·h-1) and 2- to 4-h period (WHEY, 0.085 ± 0.036%·h-1; BLEND, 0.086 ± 0.034%·h-1), with no differences between conditions during either period or throughout the entire (0-4 h) postprandial period (time-condition interactions; all P > 0.05). Conclusions Ingestion of a novel plant-based protein blend stimulates postexercise MyoPS to an equivalent extent as whey protein, demonstrating the utility of plant protein blends to optimize postexercise skeletal muscle reconditioning.