The Effectiveness of a Diet With Beef as Key Protein Component Versus a Plant-Based Diet to Support Integrated Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates in Healthy Older Individuals

NCT07049224 | Recruiting DMC

• 2 other identifiers: METC 24-025NL87069.068.24
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 32
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Muscles are composed out of proteins. These proteins in turn are composed out of smaller building blocks, called amino acids. By consuming a sufficient amount of dietary protein, a sufficient amount of amino acids become available to build new muscle proteins. The body's ability to build these new muscle proteins is of great importance to maintain muscle strength and function. Previous research suggests that a meal containing proteins from meat results in a better stimulation of the body's ability to build muscle proteins, when compared to a meal containing only plant-based proteins. However, these previous studies have only been performed following the ingestion of a single meal. As a result it is currently unknown how the muscles respond to a more prolonged ingestion of a diet containing animal/meat products, in comparison to a plant-based diet. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how fast new muscle proteins are being build when consuming a diet containing animal/meat products, in comparison to a plant-based (vegan) diet.

Conditions

Muscle Protein Synthetic Response to Protein

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Integrated muscle protein synthesis rate in rested leg

  The main study endpoint will be the difference in muscle protein synthesis rates in the non-exercised leg, between the plant-based diet and the meat diet, expressed as FSR (%/day).

  The 2 intervention periods over which FSR is determined will each last 10 days

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Integrated muscle protein synthesis rate in exercised leg

  The 2 intervention periods over which FSR is determined will each last 10 days

• Blood glucose

  The 2 intervention periods after which the outcomes are determined will each last 10 days

• Blood insulin

  The 2 intervention periods after which the outcomes are determined will each last 10 days

• Blood lipid profile

  The 2 intervention periods after which the outcomes are determined will each last 10 days

• Blood inflammatory markers

  The 2 intervention periods after which the outcomes are determined will each last 10 days

Other Outcomes (7)

• Participant characteristics

  At baseline, before start interventional period

• Muscle histology characteristics

  At baseline, before start interventional period

• Muscle signaling proteins

  The 2 intervention periods over which muscle signaling proteins are determined will each last 10 days

Study Arms (2)

MEAT-PLANT

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will be subjected to a 10-day diet containing meat and animal products, followed by a 10-day diet containing plant products. During the interventional period participants will perform unilateral lower limb resistance exercise.

Other: Meat diet; Other: Plant diet

PLANT-MEAT

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will be subjected to a 10-day diet containing plant products, followed by a 10-day diet containing meat and animal products. During the interventional period participants will perform unilateral lower limb resistance exercise.

Other: Meat diet; Other: Plant diet

Interventions

Meat diet OTHER

Participants will be subjected to a 10-day diet containing meat and animal products. During the interventional period participants will perform unilateral lower limb resistance exercise.

Also known as: Omnivorous diet

MEAT-PLANT; PLANT-MEAT

Plant diet OTHER

Participants will be subjected to a 10-day diet containing plant products. During the interventional period participants will perform unilateral lower limb resistance exercise.

Also known as: Vegan diet

MEAT-PLANT; PLANT-MEAT

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years - 85 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: Healthy older males and females are eligible to participate
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Male or female sex
• Aged between 65 and 85 y inclusive
• BMI between 18.5 and 30 kg/m2 inclusive

You may not qualify if:

• Not willing to consume meat/animal-based products during the study period
• Any food allergies (e.g. milk, gluten, etc.)
• Participating currently or in the 3 months prior to the study in a structured progressive exercise program.
• Smoking
• History of cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, urogenital, neurological, psychiatric, dermatologic, musculoskeletal, metabolic, endocrine, haematological, immunologic disorders, allergy, major surgery and/or laboratory assessments which might limit participation in or completion of the study protocol, interfere with the execution of the experiment, or potential influence the study outcomes (to be decided by the study team and responsible physician)
• Diagnosed with phenylketonuria (PKU)
• Donated full blood 3 months prior to test day
• Use of any medications that interferes with study participation and/or outcomes (i.e. corticosteroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, gastric acid suppressing medication) as assessed by the study team and responsible medical doctor.
• Use of DOAC, vitamin-K-antagonist, or multiple anticoagulants
• Fasting blood glucose \>7 mmol/L

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Maastricht University Medical Center: lead
• National Cattlemen's Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Maastricht University Medical Centre+

Maastricht, Limburg, 6229ER, Netherlands

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Diet, Western; Diet, Plant-Based; Diet, Vegan

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Diet; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Diet Therapy; Nutrition Therapy; Therapeutics; Diet, Vegetarian

Central Study Contacts

Philippe Pinckaers, PhD

CONTACT

+31 43 388 22 15; philippe.pinckaers@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Randomized, counter-balanced, cross-over design, researchers and participants are not blinded, analysts are blinded.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 19, 2024
• First Posted: July 3, 2025
• Study Start: December 9, 2024
• Primary Completion: April 1, 2026
• Study Completion: April 1, 2026
• Last Updated: July 3, 2025

Record last verified: 2024-12

Locations

NL (1)