Improved recovery from skeletal muscle damage is largely unexplained by myofibrillar protein synthesis or inflammatory and regenerative gene expression pathways
George Frederick Pavis, American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism 07 DEC 2020
The contribution of myofibrillar protein synthesis (MyoPS) to recovery from skeletal muscle damage in humans is unknown. Recreationally active males and females consumed a daily protein-polyphenol beverage targeted at increasing amino acid availability and reducing inflammation (PPB; n=9), both known to affect MyoPS, or an isocaloric placebo (PLA; n=9) during 168 h of recovery from 300 maximal unilateral eccentric contractions (EE). Muscle function was assessed daily. Muscle biopsies were collected 24, 27, 36, 72 and 168 h for MyoPS measurements using 2H2O and expression of 224 genes using RT-qPCR and pathway analysis.
PPB improved recovery of muscle function, which was impaired for five days following EE in PLA (interaction; P<0.05). Acute postprandial MyoPS rates were unaffected by nutritional intervention (24-27 h). EE increased overnight (27-36 h) MyoPS versus control leg (PLA: 33±19%; PPB: 79±25%; leg P<0.01), and PPB tended to increase this further (interaction P=0.06). Daily MyoPS rates were greater with PPB between 72-168 h after EE, albeit after function had recovered. Inflammatory and regenerative signaling pathways were dramatically upregulated and clustered following EE but were unaffected by nutritional intervention.
These results suggest that accelerated recovery from EE is not explained by elevated MyoPS or suppression of inflammation.