In non-exercising young subjects (i.e., “at rest”), the acute administration of either a protein-containing mixed meal or a pure protein load, stimulated skeletal muscle protein synthesis
[35][36]. In dose–response studies, intake of 20 g of high-quality proteins, i.e., whey protein
[37] or mixed egg protein
[38], was sufficient to maximally stimulate postabsorptive rates of myofibrillar MPS in resting young men over 4 h
[37].
In middle-aged men however, following the ingestion of graded amounts of beef (from 57 g, i.e., 12 g protein; 113 g, i.e., 24 g protein; or 170 g, i.e., 36 g protein), the stimulation of myofibrillar MPS was the greatest with 170 g of beef
[39], thus apparently not achieving a plateau. Notably, in this study, exercise further and significantly enhanced the beef protein effect only at the highest administered dose (170 g beef).
The administration of free amino acids, either as bolus ingestion of 15 g EAA
[40], or of a leucine-rich EAA and carbohydrate mixture
[41], increased human muscle protein synthesis too. When dose–response curves between crystalline EAA and MPS were constructed, the literature data somehow contrasted. It was initially reported that 2.5 g crystalline EAA was sufficient to elicit an increase above basal of MPS in young subjects
[42]. However, in subsequent studies using intact whey protein, the lower dose capable of eliciting a response in MPS in young muscle was set at >10 g (=5 g EAA), reaching saturation at 20–40 g EAA.
The type of the administered protein is important too. Since the amount of the EAAs, and/or their relative proportions, are greater and/or more balanced in high- than in low-quality proteins, the amount and quality of the protein are relevant in the stimulation of protein synthesis. This issue is important in ageing, because the estimated recommended daily protein intake in aged people is ≈50% greater (1.2 g/kg BW) than that of young-adult subjects (0.8 g/kg BW)
[43], and it could be better achieved by the intake of high-quality protein, such as whey protein, albumin, egg, or, to a lesser extent, of mixed milk protein, thus helping to maintain muscle mass and prevent sarcopenia.
Ingestion of a single dose of 38 g mixed milk protein (i.e., including both fast- and slow-absorbable proteins) in young men, resulted in a time-dependent increase in postprandial muscle protein synthesis, detectable as soon as 60′ after and lasting at least up to 5 h.
[44]. Also, the ingestion of 30–40 g of a vegetal protein, mycoprotein, stimulated skeletal muscle protein synthesis to an extent comparable to that of an isonitrogenous omnivorous diet
[45].
In young subjects, the total protein-anabolic effect of meal ingestion, measured using leucine tracers at the whole-body level, was more pronounced with “slow” (i.e., casein) than with “fast” (i.e., whey) protein administration
[46][47]. The mechanisms leading to these effects were different, too: the “fast” protein markedly stimulated amino acid oxidation and protein synthesis but did not change proteolysis, whereas the “slow” protein increased amino acid oxidation and protein synthesis to a lesser extent but strongly inhibited proteolysis. Therefore, since the effects of whey proteins may be more rapidly vanishing, it would be useful to combine the effects of fast and slow proteins, irrespective of whether they are vegetal or animal ones. In young adults, a supplement containing a vegetal, antioxidant-rich soy protein mixed with whey protein, could prolong the improvement of the AA net balance across the leg up to ≈ 2 h post-ingestion, compared with the 20 min attained with whey alone
[48].
2.2. Effects of Exercise and Nutrition on Muscle Protein Synthesis and Accretion
Exercise is a potent stimulator of muscle protein synthesis, particularly in the recovery phase
[49], and it positively interacts with protein/amino acid ingestion in the stimulation of skeletal muscle anabolism.
Muscle mass accretion following resistance exercise combined with food ingestion is observed even following an adequate habitual protein intake (≥0.8 g kg
−1 day
−1)
[50]. A greater protein intake (1.8–3.0 g kg
−1 day
−1) further augments lean body mass (i.e., protein) accretion without increasing fat mass, when compared to an energy-rich, low-protein intake (≈5% of energy as protein)
[50]. The high-quality whey protein, combined with resistance exercise in young adults, exerted a greater effect on MPS than equivalent doses of lower-quality proteins, such as soy protein or casein, an effect, however, still present up to 3–5 h post-exercise
[38].
As reported above, a 20 g dose of whey protein was sufficient for the maximal stimulation of post-absorptive myofibrillar MPS in young men, whether or not exercising
[37], and it was effective up to 3–5 h after exercise
[28][51]. Conversely, others reported that the response of muscle protein synthesis following whole-body resistance exercise is greater following 40 g rather than 20 g of ingested whey protein
[52]. After the ingestion of incremental doses of mixed milk protein (0, 15, 30, or 45 g) together with 45 g carbohydrate, the 30 g protein dose was sufficient to maximize the myosin synthesis rates during recovery from a single bout of endurance exercise in young men
[53].
The intake of another high-quality protein, i.e., egg protein, as low as 5–10 g (approximating that contained in a single ≈ 60 g egg: ≈ 6.8 g total protein), increased MPS above basal following resistance exercise, reaching a maximum with a dose of 20 g egg protein
[54].
2.3. Effect of Other Substrates
Protein synthesis is an energy-requiring process
[55]; therefore, energy-providing substrates such as glucose and fat may affect protein turnover too. The activities of the cellular pathways controlling protein turnover are bio-energetically expensive and therefore depend on intracellular energy availability (i.e., macronutrient intake)
[56].
Glucose
Glucose increased muscle protein synthesis in vitro
[57]. Testing glucose-induced or derived substrates separately, tissue ATP decreased during incubation with lactate, and lactate + pyruvate supported protein synthesis better than pyruvate or glucose. The data on the effects in humans of either glucose or fat on protein metabolism, specifically on skeletal muscle, are scarce, complex, and not univocal
[30]. Enteral glucose administration did not affect either duodenal mucosal protein FSR or the activities of mucosal proteases
[58]. An oral glucose load, and the simultaneous glucose-induced stimulation of insulin secretion, did not alter the rate of whole-body protein synthesis or breakdown
[59].
Lipids and Ketones
The effects of either lipid or ketone infusion/administration in humans are complex. Lipid infusion in humans did not affect proteolysis
[60]. In contrast, medium-chain fatty acid infusion apparently increased leucine oxidation and, therefore, net protein catabolism
[61]. Thus, the effects on whole-body protein degradation may depend on the fatty acid length
[62]. The increase in FFA decreased basal muscle protein synthesis, but not the anabolic effect of leucine
[63]. When associated with dietary protein ingestion, neither acute nor short-term dietary fat overload impaired skeletal MPS in overweight/obese men in the post-prandial phase, thus excluding a role by dietary accumulation of intramuscular lipids on the anabolic response to meal ingestion
[64]. The infusion of 3OHButyrate decreased both whole body and forearm protein turnover (measured by phenylalanine/tyrosine tracers), as well as phenylalanine catabolism, in post-absorptive conditions, whereas it did not modify the insulin-induced effects following an euglycemic clamp
[60].
Other Nutritional Interventions
β-alanine supplementation may increase physical performance in middle-aged individuals
[65] and improve physical performance during exercise
[66]. Creatine may increase muscle mass in combination with resistance exercise, although the mechanism(s) of action remain elusive. Short-term creatine monohydrate (CrM) supplementation may exert anti-catabolic actions on selected proteins in men, but it did not enhance either whole-body or mixed-muscle protein synthesis
[67]. Acute metabolic studies testing various substances may provide useful information for estimating the efficacy of potentially anabolic agents
[68].
3. Hormones and Related Drug Interventions
3.1. Insulin
Although insulin has an undisputed anabolic effect on tissue protein, its experimental demonstration in vivo has challenged the investigators over time, mainly because its administration induces a decrease in amino acid plasma concentration, thus possibly obscuring its direct effect in muscle. A major advancement was the maintenance of the “amino acid “clamp” at baseline during insulin infusion or injection, also achieved when insulin was directly infused into the artery perfusing a muscle-rich organ (such as the leg or the forearm), thus avoiding a system perturbation of the aminoacidemia and allowing, at the same time, the insulin effect in the perfused limb to be studied selectively, using any of these techniques. Muscle protein synthesis and degradation were determined by combining amino acid isotope infusion with arterial–venous limb catheterization, often complemented by muscle biopsy in some studies.
3.2. Glucocorticoids
Cortisol, often referred to as a stress hormone, has both catabolic and anabolic effects, depending on the context. Cortisol-induced
secondary sarcopenia (i.e., specifically induced either by either an exogenous administration or an endocrine disease) is a frequent finding in the clinical setting. Chronic glucocorticoid exposure induces loss of lean body mass by decreasing protein synthesis and increasing degradation
[69][70][71]. The protein-catabolic effect of prednisone is antagonized by growth hormone
[70]. In humans, the administration of 8 mg dexamethasone daily for 4 days antagonized the anti-proteolytic effect of insulin in the forearm
[72].
3.3. Human Growth Hormone (hGH) and IGF-1
In humans, hGH administration increased whole-body
[70] and muscle protein synthesis
[73]. The insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) bind to IGFs, modulating their activity and availability. They help in regulating IGFs’ actions in various tissues, including muscle. When rhIGF-I was infused at a rate achieving plasma IGF-I concentrations close to those observed following rhGH treatment, and yet avoiding the IGF-1-induced hypoglycemia, proteolysis and protein synthesis were not affected, even in the presence of prednisone treatment
[74]. However, when rhGH and rhIGF-I were administered simultaneously, nitrogen balance was remarkably improved
[74].
IGF-1 exhibits several splicing variants, IGF-1Ea, which is a circulating factor synthesized in the liver, and IGF-1Eb and IGF-1Ec, recognized as Mechano-Growth Factors (MGFs), which manifest in skeletal muscles of rodents and humans, respectively
[75]. The act of stretching or overloading skeletal muscles triggers a rise in IGF-1 mRNA, particularly emphasizing the specific IGF-1Ec variant (MGF)
[75]. The extent to which IGF-1 alternative splicing variants might induce greater hypertrophy compared to IGF-1 per se remains partially unresolved
[76]. Notably, the effects of the synthetic E-domain peptide mimetic have been elucidated: the MGF-24aa-E peptide (YQPPSTNKNTKSQRRKGSTFEEHK) activates satellite cells, prompting their replication
[75].
3.4. Catecholamines
Epinephrine has both an α- and β-receptor affinity. Epinephrine infusion in humans depressed plasma amino acid concentrations, particularly the essential ones, however without changing leucine or phenylalanine flux
[77], nor did it impair the disposal of exogenous amino acids in humans
[78]. However, in another study, the increase in plasma epinephrine concentrations inhibited proteolysis and leucine oxidation in humans via beta-adrenergic mechanism, compatible with an anabolic effect
[79].
3.5. Estrogens
Although estrogens are female sex hormones, they are also present in smaller amounts in males. Estrogen plays a role in maintaining bone health, promoting protein synthesis and muscle growth, and influencing body composition, in both males and females. While the exact mechanisms by which estrogens affect muscle growth are still being studied, research suggests that they can, directly and indirectly, affect muscle tissue. One way estrogens may influence muscle growth is by promoting protein synthesis, interacting with receptors in muscle cells, and activating signaling pathways involved in protein synthesis
[80]. Decreased estrogen-associated signaling impairs mitochondrial function leading to muscle atrophy
[81]. Estrogens can also indirectly affect muscle growth by modulating the production and activity of other hormones, such as growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which are important for muscle development. Estrogens may regulate the release of these hormones from the pituitary gland and the liver, thereby influencing muscle growth
[82].
3.6. Androgens
Testosterone is a potent anabolic stimulus primarily through improvement in the re-utilization of amino acids released from protein degradation [83] (see also the above paragraph), and this will be further discussed below. Testosterone and progesterone, but not estradiol, stimulated muscle protein synthesis in postmenopausal women [84].
4. Exercise
Exercise is a powerful stimulus to promote skeletal muscle protein synthesis and net protein anabolism, involving specific metabolic and morphological adaptations in muscle
[49], also interacting with substrates
[85][86]. Exercise produces diverse changes in amino acid metabolism and protein turnover in muscle, according to the exercise phase. Acute changes in amino acid metabolism during exercise are primarily catabolic (i.e., increased amino acid oxidation), yet exercise does not cause muscle wasting. This is because both immediate and later post-exercise phases are anabolic. Thus, regular exercise is essential for optimizing muscle growth and hypertrophy.
The type of exercise also determines the magnitudes of these processes, and exercise requires a sequence of metabolic adjustments from the catabolic period of the ongoing exercise to the anabolic period of recovery. Two primary exercise types commonly associated with muscle growth are resistance and endurance. Resistance exercise, such as weightlifting, involves using external resistance to challenge the muscles. This type of exercise is a primary intervention used to develop strength and stimulate muscle hypertrophy. Muscle mass increases constitute key components of conditioning in the outcome of various sports due to the correlation between cross-sectional muscle area and muscle strength
[87][88].
4.1. Resistance Exercise Can Be Further Classified into Two Main Categories
High-Intensity Resistance Exercise: This exercise type typically involves lifting heavy weights for a relatively low number of repetitions. It primarily targets fast-twitch muscle fibers, which have a higher potential for muscle growth. High-intensity resistance exercise promotes muscle hypertrophy by acutely causing mechanical tension and muscle damage, subsequently triggering muscle protein synthesis and adaptation
[89]. High-intensity resistance exercise is a potent stimulus for skeletal MPS and hypertrophy in young adults during high-intensity exercise and post-exercise recovery
[90][91][92][93][94][95].
Moderate-Intensity Resistance Exercise: This exercise type involves using moderate weights for more repetitions. While the hypertrophic response may be less pronounced than high-intensity resistance exercise, moderate-intensity resistance exercise still contributes to muscle growth and can benefit endurance and functional capacity
[89].
4.2. Effects of Exercise in Conjunction with Nutrient Intake
The specific adaptation to each type of exercise can vary depending on factors such as exercise intensity, volume, frequency, and individual characteristics. Combining resistance and endurance exercises in a well-designed training program can provide comprehensive benefits for muscle growth, strength, endurance, and overall fitness. It has been shown that combined strength and endurance training in the evening may lead to larger gains in muscle mass
[96]. Additionally, other factors such as nutrition, rest, and recovery play crucial roles in maximizing the benefits of exercise and promoting muscle growth. Adequate protein intake, overall caloric balance, and appropriate recovery periods are important factors to be considered when optimizing muscle growth in response to exercise.
During the acute phase, the energy needs to stimulate amino acid oxidation/catabolism (together with that of glucose and fat), thus depleting intracellular amino acid pools. In contrast, in the recovery phase, the depleted amino acid pools and energy need to be reconstituted. Since the response of muscle protein metabolism to a resistance exercise bout lasts up to 5 h
[38], such an ample post-exercise recovery phase allows a comfortable, positive anabolic interaction with food (protein) intake. Immediately following exercise, muscle protein turnover, i.e., protein synthesis, breakdown, and amino acid transport, are accelerated. However, the net protein balance remains negative (i.e., catabolic or not above zero) unless food is ingested
[85]. Therefore, food intake associated with exercise is necessary to bring muscle protein balance to be positive.
4.3. Exercise–Insulin Interaction
Insulin and exercise can positively interact in the stimulation of protein anabolism, in a complex fashion. Both protein synthesis and degradation rates are ≥1-fold greater following the post-exercise recovery than at rest
[97]. The effects of insulin on muscle protein synthesis and degradation, either without or with exercise, are complex. Insulin-stimulated protein synthesis at rest, but not in the recovery post-exercise phase. In contrast, insulin decreased protein degradation following exercise as opposed to no effect at rest. Thus, the post-exercise phase can be viewed as a (transient) insulin-resistant condition as regards protein synthesis that, in terms of the effects on net protein balance, is however overwhelmed by a greater insulin-mediated suppression of proteolysis.