Yeast Protein for Muscle Mass

NCT07561619 | Not Yet Recruiting Phase 2 DMC

• 1 other identifier: Pro00156043
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 72
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Protein supplementation is said to be one of the cost-efficient and practical strategies to meet protein needs for growth and exercise, and can help maximize muscle gain from resistance exercise. It facilitates faster recovery from stress-induced tissue damage and enhances performance output. Protein sources derived from animal products are generally recognized as the highest quality protein. However, altering the protein composition of a protein source can improve the protein quality. The yeast protein supplement we will use in this study has a similar amino acid composition to whey protein, which is derived from an animal product, but it is produced more sustainably. Our study aims to compare the effects of yeast and whey protein on muscle mass over 16 weeks.

Conditions

Healthy Adult Participants

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Changes in muscle mass

  The primary outcome of the study is the change in muscle mass. It is hypothesized that participants consuming yeast protein will show an increase in appendicular lean mass similar to that observed with whey protein.

  16 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Changes in muscle function, inflammatory biomarkers, oxidative stress markers, gut microbiota and metabolites

  16 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Whey Protein

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Other: Resistance Training Exercises; Dietary Supplement: Whey Protein

Yeast Protein

EXPERIMENTAL

Dietary Supplement: Yeast Protein; Other: Resistance Training Exercises

Interventions

Yeast Protein DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

60g of protein supplement (40g of protein). Oral administration, 30g during exercise and anytime after exercise, or 30g in the morning and evening if no exercise is performed for a period of 16 weeks.

Yeast Protein

Resistance Training Exercises OTHER

Lower and upper body resistance training exercises 3 times a week for 16 weeks

Whey Protein; Yeast Protein

Whey Protein DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

60g of protein supplement (40g of protein). Oral administration, 30g during exercise and anytime after exercise, or 30g in the morning and evening if no exercise is performed for a period of 16 weeks.

Whey Protein

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Participants must have the ability to read, understand, and sign an informed consent and must be willing to comply with study treatment and follow-up.
• Prior resistance training experience (defined as performing resistance exercises \>1/week for the past 3 months or longer) to enable them to reach a large training stimulus relatively quickly and to avoid the longer phase of neuromuscular adaptations
• ≥18 years and \<35 years of age

You may not qualify if:

• Diabetes, musculoskeletal disease, cancer, Crohn's disease, or any other acute or chronic condition that interferes (or the medication prescribed for those conditions) with muscle anabolism.
• Diagnosed with or being treated for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure 130/80 mmHg or higher
• Pain/discomfort/pressure in the chest during activities of daily living or physical activity
• Pregnant or not on adequate contraception.
• A known hypersensitivity/allergy to ingredients in the supplements.
• Inflammatory bowel diseases
• Enrolment in any other clinical protocol or investigational study that may interfere with study procedures
• Taking antibiotics

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Alberta: lead

Study Sites (1)

The University of Alberta North Campus

Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2R3, Canada

Location

Related Publications (6)

• West DWD, Abou Sawan S, Mazzulla M, Williamson E, Moore DR. Whey Protein Supplementation Enhances Whole Body Protein Metabolism and Performance Recovery after Resistance Exercise: A Double-Blind Crossover Study. Nutrients. 2017 Jul 11;9(7):735. doi: 10.3390/nu9070735.

  PMID: 28696380 BACKGROUND

• Patel S. Emerging trends in nutraceutical applications of whey protein and its derivatives. J Food Sci Technol. 2015 Nov;52(11):6847-58. doi: 10.1007/s13197-015-1894-0. Epub 2015 Jun 9.

  PMID: 26884639 BACKGROUND

• Norton LE, Wilson GJ, Layman DK, Moulton CJ, Garlick PJ. Leucine content of dietary proteins is a determinant of postprandial skeletal muscle protein synthesis in adult rats. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2012 Jul 20;9(1):67. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-9-67.

  PMID: 22818257 BACKGROUND

• Joy JM, Lowery RP, Wilson JM, Purpura M, De Souza EO, Wilson SM, Kalman DS, Dudeck JE, Jager R. The effects of 8 weeks of whey or rice protein supplementation on body composition and exercise performance. Nutr J. 2013 Jun 20;12:86. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-12-86.

  PMID: 23782948 BACKGROUND

• Cermak NM, Res PT, de Groot LC, Saris WH, van Loon LJ. Protein supplementation augments the adaptive response of skeletal muscle to resistance-type exercise training: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Dec;96(6):1454-64. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.037556. Epub 2012 Nov 7.

  PMID: 23134885 BACKGROUND

• Banaszek A, Townsend JR, Bender D, Vantrease WC, Marshall AC, Johnson KD. The Effects of Whey vs. Pea Protein on Physical Adaptations Following 8-Weeks of High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT): A Pilot Study. Sports (Basel). 2019 Jan 4;7(1):12. doi: 10.3390/sports7010012.

  PMID: 30621129 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Fungal Proteins; Whey Proteins

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Proteins; Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins; Milk Proteins; Animal Proteins, Dietary; Dietary Proteins; Whey; Milk; Dairy Products; Food; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Food and Beverages

Central Study Contacts

Jianping Wu, PhD

CONTACT

(780) 492-6885; jwu3@ualberta.ca

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 2
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 24, 2026
• First Posted: May 1, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2029
• Last Updated: May 1, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, ICF
• Time Frame: IPD will be available for 15 yrs

Locations

CA (1)