Protein feeding prior to sleep as a dietary strategy to improve post-exercise recovery and muscle mass in young and elderly men.

Muscle protein synthesis rates are stimulated during periods of increased plasma amino acid availability. Sleep is a post-absoptive period in which there is decreased plasma amino acid availability. Protein provision prior to sleep may improve overnight muscle protein synthesis rates by increasing plasma amino acid levels.

Protein feeding prior to sleep improves post-exercise recovery and muscle mass in young and elderly men.

Muscle biopsies for muscle tracer enrichments will be taken just prior to sleep (24:00) and just after sleep (7:00).

Plasma samples will be taken throughout the night to assess plasma amino acids. In total, 152 ml of blood will be drawn.

Elderly subjects are randomized into groups ingesting incremental protein amounts prior to sleep.

All young subjects perform a bout of resistance exercise before ingesting incremental amounts of protein prior to sleep.



Elderly subjects are randomized into groups ingesting incremental protein amounts prior to sleep (20 gram of protein, 40 gram of protein, 20 gram of protein + 1,5 gram leucine or placebo).

A separate arm is evaluating the effect of resistance exercise and ingestion of 40 gram of protein prior to sleep.

Young subjects are randomized into groups ingesting incremental protein amounts prior to sleep (30 gram of protein, 30 gram of protein + 2 gram of leucine or placebo).

A separate arm is evaluating the effect of ingesting 30 gram of protein prior to sleep.

All experiments will commence at 17:30 and will be finished at 7:30 the next morning.