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Protein is an essential dietary component that helps in the growth and repair of the body. Made up of long chains of amino acids, they promote the growth of skeletal muscles, which are the group of muscles that help us move.
Humans have long known about the benefits of protein. However, recent studies have shown that having the right amount of protein at the right time of day is essential for good growth.
This is called Chrononutrition, which examines how when you eat is as important as what you eat and how you eat.
The reason behind this is the body’s internal biological clock.
Called the circadian rhythm, this rhythm is followed by all cells and controls vital functions such as metabolism and growth.
Interestingly, protein digestion and absorption fluctuates day and night based on this clock.
Additionally, previous studies have reported that eating protein for breakfast and lunch promotes skeletal muscle growth in adults.
However, details on the effect of timing of protein intake on muscle growth and function have remained elusive until now.
Fortunately, researchers at Waseda University, led by Prof. Shigenobu Shibata, have recently taken to understanding the effect of the distribution of protein intake during the day on muscles.
They fed laboratory mice two meals per day containing either high (11.5% proportion) or low (8.5% proportion) protein concentrations.
The researchers noted that protein intake at breakfast induced an increase in muscle growth, determined by evaluating the induced hypertrophy of the plantar muscle of the leg, compared to the effects of protein intake at dinner.
Specifically, the ratio of muscle hypertrophy determined to control muscle growth was 17% higher in mice fed 8.5% protein at breakfast than in mice fed 11.5% protein. at dinner, despite the fact that the first group consumes a low proportion of protein overall. .
They also found that early day intake of a type of protein called BCCA (short for branched chain amino acids) specifically increased the size of skeletal muscles.
They repeated the food distribution experiments on these mice but did not observe a similar muscle change, which confirmed the involvement of the circadian rhythm in muscle growth as part of protein intake.
Excited by the results of their study, published in a recent issue of Cell Reports, Professor Shibata points out: “A high protein diet at an early stage of the daily active period, that is, at breakfast, is important for maintaining skeletal muscle health and improving muscle volume and grip strength.
To check if their results were applicable to humans, the team recruited women into their study and tested whether their muscle function, determined by measuring the skeletal muscle index (SMI) and grip strength, varied with time. of the high protein diet consumed.
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Sixty women aged 65 and over who took protein for breakfast rather than dinner showed better muscle function, suggesting the possibility that the results are true for all species. Additionally, researchers also found a strong association between IMS and the ratio of protein intake at breakfast to total protein intake throughout the day.
Prof Shibata hopes the results of their study will lead to a widespread change in the current diet of most people in Western and Asian countries, who traditionally eat low amounts of protein for breakfast.
So he points out: “For humans, in general, the protein intake at breakfast averages around 15 grams, which is less than what we eat at dinner, which is around 28 grams.
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“Our results strongly support changing this standard and consuming more protein for breakfast or morning snack times.”
Relatively high protein foods that won’t be too off-putting in the early hours include eggs, tofu, hemp seeds, oatmeal, chia, and nut butters.
It seems that a simple change in our diet can be our key to ensuring healthy muscles.
Source: Waseda University
FEED the threads of your friends with this fascinating research …
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