Protein in Feeding Strategies to Accelerate Muscle Recovery From ACL Reconstruction

Summary

Musculoskeletal injury, particularly injuries requiring surgical repair, induce significant muscle atrophy, resulting in diminished physical function. The protein turnover-associated (diminished protein synthesis, elevated protein breakdown, negative net muscle protein balance) etiology of injury and surgical-induced atrophy are, in part, similar to those observed with muscle wasting induced by hyper-catabolic and inflammatory conditions and prolonged periods of skeletal muscle disuse (e.g., cachexia and joint immobilization). Combining dietary strategies to optimize the anabolic properties of beef as a high quality protein source that provides essential amino acids prior to surgery and throughout post-surgery rehabilitation may attenuate muscle atrophy and accelerate the restoration of muscle function. This project will examine the efficacy of habitual consumption of a beef-based higher protein meal pattern and post-physical rehabilitation beef protein supplementation throughout post-surgical rehabilitation intervention on skeletal muscle function in response to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair in healthy, physically active adults.

Stable isotope methodologies, proteomic analysis of muscle protein synthesis, and molecular assessments of skeletal muscle atrophy and remodeling will be assessed to evaluate the effects of increased protein intake, including consumption of a high quality beef-based protein supplement following patient physical therapy sessions on:

1. Skeletal muscle protein fractional synthetic rates during and in recovery from surgery;
2. Inflammatory, proteolytic, and anabolic intramuscular signaling during surgery and their association with skeletal muscle protein synthesis and muscle function;
3. Muscle size and functional recovery;
4. Duration to return to routine exercise, sport, or physical activity.

Conditions

• Rehabilitative Nutrition for Muscle Recovery From ACL Reconstruction

Interventions

OTHER

Diet Intervention_AP-CPT

Adequate Protein\_Carbohydrate Post Therapy (AP-CPT) where protein intake will be 1 g/kg/d for the duration of the study .

OTHER

Diet Intervention_PP-PPT

Optimal Protein\_Protein Post Therapy (OP-PPT) with protein intake set at 2.0 g/kg/day for the duration of the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Orthopedic Associates of Hartford

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

  collaborator FED

• University of California, Berkeley

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Connecticut

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Nancy R Rodriguez, PhD · University of Connecticut-Storrs

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

50 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-02-01

Primary Completion

2021-07-31

Completion

2022-02-01

Countries

• United States

Study Locations