Ingestion of different protein sources before sleep to promote muscle protein synthesis after endurance exercise in young men

A single session of exercise stimulates muscle protein synthesis rates, and to a lesser extent,
muscle protein breakdown rates. However, the muscle protein net balance will remain negative
in the absence of food intake. Protein ingestion stimulates muscle protein synthesis and inhibits
muscle protein breakdown rates, resulting in net muscle protein accretion during the acute stages of post-exercise recovery. Therefore, post-exercise protein ingestion is widely applied as a strategy to augment post-exercise muscle protein synthesis rates and, as such, to facilitate the skeletal muscle adaptive response to exercise training. As overnight sleep is typically the longest post-absorptive period during the day, we have recently introduced the concept of protein ingestion prior to sleep as a means to augment muscle protein synthesis during overnight recovery following resistance-type exercise. However, it is currently unknown whether pre-sleep protein also promotes overnight recovery following other exercise modalities and whether the type of ingested protein modulates the response. Therefore, the current study investigates the impact of the ingestion of different protein source before sleep to promote muscle protein synthesis after endurance exercise.

1) Pre-sleep whey protein ingestion stimulates overnight muscle protein synthesis rates

2) Pre-sleep casein protein ingestion stimulates overnight muscle protein synthesis rates

3) Pre-sleep whey and casein protein do not differ in their impact on overnight muscle protein synthesis rates.

- Overnight MPS (computed from biopsy at t=0 and t=450 min)

- Plasma amino acid concentrations: t0, t30, t60, t90, t150, t210, t330 and t450 min)

1) pre-sleep whey protein ingestion

2) pre-sleep casein protein ingestion

3) water placebo ingestion