NCT05876299

The Anabolic Properties of a Lipid-rich Pork Matrix

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 16 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 20 Years – 50 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The amount and quality of skeletal muscle mass determines physical performance, but also a significant contributor to metabolic health. As such, the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass is relevant across the lifespan to remain active in family and community life. Food ingestion, particularly protein, is one of the main anabolic to skeletal muscle tissue by stimulating muscle protein synthesis rates. There have been multiple attempts to identify specialized performance nutrition products (e.g., various isolated protein powders) to maximize the anabolic properties of dietary protein on muscle. Our research group, however, has advocated for a food focus approach to meet dietary protein requirements. Particularly, we propose that whole foods demonstrate food matrix effects (nutrient-nutrient interactions) that creates a greater anabolic action on muscle beyond what amino acids can create alone. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the anabolic properties of consuming lipid-rich pork products when compared to their leaner counter-parts. Our working hypothesis that the ingestion of 84% or 96% lean ground pork condition will stimulate a greater increase in muscle protein synthesis rates compared to an isocaloric carbohydrate beverage in healthy adults. We further hypothesize that the ingestion of 84% lean pork will augment the stimulation of muscle protein synthesis rates to a greater extent than 96% lean ground pork. To achieve our objective, we will recruit 15 healthy men and women (20-50 y) to receive prime-constant infusions to directly measure muscle protein synthesis rates before and after treatment ingestion using our lab's established methods.

Conditions

• Muscle Protein Synthesis

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	95.1% Lean Pork	This intervention will contain 120 kcals, 4.4 g fat, and 20 g protein from low-fat ground pork.
OTHER	81.16% Lean Pork	This intervention will contain 266 kcals, 20.6 g fat, and 20 g protein from high-fat ground pork.
OTHER	Carbohydrate Beverage	This intervention will contain 266 kcals and 73.3 g carbohydrate from a carbohydrate beverage.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-07-15
• Primary completion: 2024-04-09
• Completion: 2024-04-09
• First posted: 2023-05-25
• Last updated: 2025-07-16

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States