Study Review

 

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The following is my review of a study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 2009 titled A Moderate Serving of High-Quality Protein Maximally Stimulates Skeletal Muscles Protein Synthesis in Young and Elderly Subjects by Drs. T. Brock Symons, Melinda Sheffield-Moore, Robert R. Wolfe, and Douglas Paddon-Jones.

Introduction

Sufficient dietary protein is important for the maintanence and function. The elderly are at an increased risk of protein malnutrition leading to sacropenia and decreased quality of life. This study sought to determine if a larger portion of protein could be beneficial.

Methods

This study randomly selected 17 young and 17 elderly subjects from volunteers that responded to an ad in the local paper. Each of the two groups was then randomly divided into either a 113g beef group and a 340g beef group. The study sought to determine whether a moderate or high protein serving elicited a greater muscle protein synthesis. The larger portion was thought to represent the exaggerated portion sizes available in most restaurants.

Results

This study determined that although the larger 340g serving increased protein synthesis by 50%, the moderate 113g serving  was equally effective with less calories.

Commentary 

I liked this study because it focused on real-world food, instead of protein supplements like previous studies have done. The findings make sense to me because your body can only process so much protein before it begins converting the excess to storage fat. Consuming more protein than the USDA recommendation can be beneficial, but excess amounts serve only to increase calorie intake and may inhibit fat loss.
  

References

Symons, T.B., Sheffield-Moore, M., Wolfe, R.R., Paddon-Jones, D. (2009). A Moderate Serving of High-Quality Protein Maximally Stimulates Skeletal Muscles Protein Synthesis in Young and Elderly Subjects. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109:1582-1586. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2009.06.369