Department of Public Health and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.
New Era Foods, Yarm, United Kingdom.
J Nutr. 2023 Dec;153(12):3406-3417. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.08.035. Epub 2023 Sep 15.
Spirulina [SPIR] (cyanobacterium) and chlorella [CHLO] (microalgae) are foods rich in protein and essential amino acids; however, their capacity to stimulate myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) in humans remains unknown.
We assessed the impact of ingesting SPIR and CHLO compared with an established high-quality nonanimal-derived dietary protein source (fungal-derived mycoprotein [MYCO]) on plasma amino acid concentrations, as well as resting and postexercise MyoPS rates in young adults.
Thirty-six healthy young adults (age: 22 ± 3 y; BMI: 23 ± 3 kg·m; male [m]/female [f], 18/18) participated in a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group trial. Participants received a primed, continuous infusion of L-[ring-H]-phenylalanine and completed a bout of unilateral-resistance leg exercise before ingesting a drink containing 25 g protein from MYCO (n = 12; m/f, 6/6), SPIR (n = 12; m/f, 6/6), or CHLO (n = 12; m/f, 6/6). Blood and bilateral muscle samples were collected at baseline and during a 4-h postprandial and postexercise period to assess the plasma amino acid concentrations and MyoPS rates in rested and exercised tissue.
Protein ingestion increased the plasma total and essential amino acid concentrations (time effects; all P < 0.001), but most rapidly and with higher peak responses following the ingestion of SPIR compared with MYCO and CHLO (P < 0.05), and MYCO compared with CHLO (P < 0.05). Protein ingestion increased MyoPS rates (time effect; P < 0.001) in both rested (MYCO, from 0.041 ± 0.032 to 0.060 ± 0.015%·h; SPIR, from 0.042 ± 0.030 to 0.066 ± 0.022%·h; and CHLO, from 0.037 ± 0.007 to 0.055 ± 0.019%·h, respectively) and exercised tissue (MYCO, from 0.046 ± 0.014 to 0.092 ± 0.024%·h; SPIR, from 0.038 ± 0.011 to 0.086 ± 0.028%·h; and CHLO, from 0.048 ± 0.019 to 0.090 ± 0.024%·h, respectively), with no differences between groups (interaction effect; P > 0.05), but with higher rates in exercised compared with rested muscle (time × exercise effect; P < 0.001).
The ingestion of a single bolus of algae-derived SPIR and CHLO increases resting and postexercise MyoPS rates to a comparable extent as MYCO, despite divergent postprandial plasma amino acid responses.
螺旋藻[SPIR]（蓝藻）和小球藻[CHLO]（微藻）是富含蛋白质和必需氨基酸的食物；然而，它们刺激人类肌原纤维蛋白合成（MyoPS）的能力仍不清楚。
我们评估了与已建立的高质量非动物源性膳食蛋白质来源（真菌衍生的菌蛋白[MYCO]）相比，摄入 SPIR 和 CHLO 对年轻成年人的血浆氨基酸浓度以及静息和运动后 MyoPS 率的影响。
36 名健康的年轻成年人（年龄：22 ± 3 岁；BMI：23 ± 3 kg·m；男性[m]/女性[f]，18/18）参加了一项随机、双盲、平行组试验。参与者接受了 L-[ring-H]-苯丙氨酸的脉冲式连续输注，并在摄入含有 25 g 来自 MYCO（n = 12；m/f，6/6）、SPIR（n = 12；m/f，6/6）或 CHLO（n = 12；m/f，6/6）的饮料之前完成了一次单侧抗阻腿部运动。在基线和 4 小时的餐后和运动后期间采集血液和双侧肌肉样本，以评估静息和运动组织中的血浆氨基酸浓度和 MyoPS 率。
蛋白质摄入增加了血浆总氨基酸和必需氨基酸浓度（时间效应；所有 P < 0.001），但与 MYCO 和 CHLO 相比，SPIR 摄入后最快且峰值最高（P < 0.05），与 MYCO 相比，CHLO 摄入后峰值最高（P < 0.05）。蛋白质摄入增加了静息（MYCO，从 0.041 ± 0.032 增加到 0.060 ± 0.015%·h；SPIR，从 0.042 ± 0.030 增加到 0.066 ± 0.022%·h；和 CHLO，从 0.037 ± 0.007 增加到 0.055 ± 0.019%·h）和运动后的组织（MYCO，从 0.046 ± 0.014 增加到 0.092 ± 0.024%·h；SPIR，从 0.038 ± 0.011 增加到 0.086 ± 0.028%·h；和 CHLO，从 0.048 ± 0.019 增加到 0.090 ± 0.024%·h，分别）的 MyoPS 率（时间效应；P < 0.001），但各组之间没有差异（交互效应；P > 0.05），但运动后的肌肉比静息肌肉的肌肉合成率更高（时间×运动效应；P < 0.001）。
与 MYCO 相比，单次摄入藻类衍生的 SPIR 和 CHLO 可增加静息和运动后的 MyoPS 率，尽管在餐后血浆氨基酸反应上存在差异。
