Failure of weight training to affect urinary indices of protein metabolism in men.

It is commonly believed by some athletes that strength building exercise "tears down" skeletal muscle tissue, thereby enhancing the dietary need for protein, but this has not been demonstrated. Ten college-age males served as subjects in a 15-d, controlled feeding study. The men were 23.1 +/- 2.2 yr old (mean +/- SD), 177 +/- 5 cm in height, and 71.7 +/- 9.1 kg in body weight (study days = 1 to 15). The lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet provided 0.9 g/kg protein and 15.1 +/- 0.4 MJ (3,604 +/- 104 kcal) . d-1 energy (study days = 6 to 15). On days 8 and 12, subjects participated in a standardized strength building, weight training exercise regimen. Post-exercise days 9 to 11 and 13 to 15 were designated for recovery. Daily (24-h) urine collections were analyzed for ammonia, creatinine, 3-methylhistidine, total nitrogen, and urea. There was no acute (24-h) effect of weight training exercise on any excretion levels. In particular, urinary 3-methylhistidine excretion data indicate that skeletal muscle protein catabolism was not changed by isolated bouts of weight training exercise.