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Can Branched Chain Amino Acids Supplementation Reduce Muscle Damage Induced by Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation? A Combined Functional and Metabolic Non-invasive Investigation in Healthy Humans

NCT01687361 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 20

Last updated 2014-09-01

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is commonly used in rehabilitation contexts in order to increase or restore muscle capacities of hypoactive patients or patients with articular trauma. Although this technique seems to be particularly adapted to muscle rehabilitation, growing evidence is emerging regarding potential damaging effects of electrically- induced isometric contractions in healthy humans. Recent studies have reported a 10 to 30-fold increase in creatine kinase (CK) activity coupled to significantly increased muscle soreness and impaired force production as a result of NMESs. On that basis, further studies should be conducted on these deleterious effects which might limit the clinical application of NMES.

Over the last decade, many studies paid attention to branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) supplementation as a potential prophylactic/therapeutic approach. The rationale of this approach is that BCAA might increase protein synthesis and reduce protein breakdown through physiological mechanisms involving mTOR regulation pathway (mammalian Target of Rapamycin). Additionally, BCAA could also be used as energetic substrate during exercise when glycogen stores are depleted. Overall, previous results have supported the efficacy of BCAA supplementation in attenuating muscle damage. Nevertheless, comprehensive studies investigating the effect of amino acid supplementation on markers of muscle damage are still scarce.

Magnetic resonance imaging (IRM) and phosphorus 31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) are powerful non invasive tools allowing the exploration of skeletal muscle structure and energy metabolism.

This ambitious project is devoted to the anatomical, functional and metabolic characterization of BCAA supplementation after NMES using MRI and 31P-MRS. Various markers of muscle damage, including maximal voluntary force production, T2 values and apparent diffusion coefficient (obtained by MRI) and energy metabolism assessed at rest and during exercise (using 31P-MRS), will be obtained before and after NMES. This project is of utmost importance for improving our knowledge of anatomic, metabolic and functional events related to BCAA supplementation in the context of exercise-induced muscle damage

Conditions

  • Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) supplementation

DRUG

PLACEBO

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Assistance Publique Hopitaux De Marseille

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • BERNARD BELAIGUES · Assistance Publique hôpitaux de Marseille

  • jean pierre mattei · AP HM

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
DOUBLE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
35 Years
Sex
MALE
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2012-06-30
Primary Completion
2013-06-30
Completion
2014-01-31

Countries

  • France

Study Locations

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Entities

Drugs

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01687361 on ClinicalTrials.gov