Milk Vs Wheat Protein Intake to Maximize Whole-body Protein Synthesis Rates in Healthy Older Adults

Milk Vs Wheat Protein Intake to Maximize Whole-body Protein Synthesis Rates in Healthy Older Adults

Dietary protein intake is essential for tissue renewal and growth. Current recommendations for protein intake are based on studies using egg protein as reference protein. Egg protein is an animal-based protein with a high quality. Protein quality is determined by the composition of (essential) amino acids and digestibility. Therefore, different proteins have a different quality. Due to the environmental crisis, an increasing number of people consumes more plant-based proteins. These plant-based proteins often have a lower protein quality compared to animal-based proteins. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate whether optimal protein intake depend on protein quality. The optimal protein intake of an animal-based protein with a high quality (milk) will be compared to the optimal protein intake of a plant-based protein with a low quality (wheat).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged between 65-85 years
• BMI between 18.5-30 kg*m^-2
• Healthy, recreationally active (maximal one intensive exercise training per week)
• No physical limitations (i.e., able to perform all activities associated with daily living independently)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Smoking
• Diagnosed musculoskeletal disorders
• Use of any medications known to affect protein metabolism (i.e., corticosteriods, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories)
• Chronic use of gastic acid-suppressing medication or anti-coagulants
• Unstable weight over the last 3 months
• Diagnosed GI tract disorders or diseases
• Blood donation in the past 2 months