Wheat Protein Shows Muscle-Building Properties in Men

by | Sep 28, 2017 | 2016, Men's Health, Proteins

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Of the participating healthy older men, those who ingested 35 g of casein had a significantly better response to postprandial muscle protein synthesis compared to those who ingested 35 g of wheat protein.

agingMaintaining muscle mass “is of key importance” to preserving quality of life and overall function as we age 1. Muscle growth and maintenance is not only stimulated by exercising but also aided by protein intake in our diet 2. Protein can come from animal sources (chicken, beef) as well as plant sources. Plant-based proteins account for nearly 50% of total dietary protein intake in the United States compared to over 60% in less developed countries 3.

A factor contributing to decreased plant protein intake in the United State is the perception that plant-based proteins do not build muscle as well as animal-based protein, due to their deficiencies in certain essential amino acids such as leucine, lysine, and/or methionine 4. While research is plentiful regarding the muscle-building aspects of animal-based proteins like casein 5, whey 6, milk 7, and beef 8, research has started to accumulate regarding wheat protein, which is the most abundant plant-based protein in our diet, comprising 20%of total protein intake 9.

In a 2016 study 10, 61 healthy men between the ages of 70 and 72 with a body mass index between 25.0 and 25.6 kg/m2 initially had blood samples taken after an overnight fast. They then received either 35 grams of wheat protein (13 men), wheat protein hydrosylate (WPH-35) (12 men), casein (Mcas-35) (12 men), whey (Whey-35) (12 men), or 60 grams wheat protein hydrosylate (WPH-60) (12 men). Blood samples were taken four hours after protein ingestion, after which the researchers looked at a specific measure of muscle-building called “myofibrillar protein synthesis”. In this study, the researchers used a purified wheat protein that has had “antinutritional factors” removed which interfere with digestion, thereby producing a digestibility similar to animal-based proteins 11. Results were as follows:

  • Increase in postprandial plasma amino acid concentrations was significantly greater after ingesting Whey-35 than after MCas-35 and WPH-35 (P<0.01).
  • Myofibrillar protein synthesis rates increased significantly after ingesting MCas-35 (P<0.01) and were higher after ingesting MCas-35 than after ingesting WPH-35 (P<0.03).
  • Leucine concentrations were also significantly higher after ingesting Whey-35 than after WPH-60 (P<0.01) even though leucine contents were the same (4.4 g leucine).
  • WPH-60 ingestion did however, increased myofibrillar protein synthesis rates above basal rates (P=0.02).

Researchers conclude that postprandial protein muscle synthesis was greater with 35 g of casein than with 35 g of wheat protein. In fact, 60 grams of wheat protein was required to substantially increase protein synthesis in healthy older men. They add, “These data provide useful information when developing or optimizing food product formulations combining wheat or other plant-based proteins with dairy proteins to stimulate muscle protein synthesis rates and to support muscle mass maintenance.”

Source: Gorissen, Stefan HM, Astrid MH Horstman, Rinske Franssen, Julie JR Crombag, Henning Langer, Jörgen Bierau, Frederique Respondek, and Luc JC van Loon. “Ingestion of wheat protein increases in vivo muscle protein synthesis rates in healthy older men in a randomized trial.” The Journal of nutrition 146, no. 9 (2016): 1651-1659.

© 2016 American Society for Nutrition

Posted September 28, 2017.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.

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