Postprandial Aminoacidemia Following the Ingestion of Alternative and Sustainable Proteins in Humans: A Narrative Review

Overview

Journal Nutrients

Date 2025 Jan 25

PMID 39861341

Authors

Mohammed Ahmed Yimam

Martina Andreini

Sara Carnevale

Maurizio Muscaritoli

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

There is a pressing need to expand the production and consumption of alternative protein sources from plants, fungi, insects, and algae from both nutritional and sustainability perspectives. It is well known that the postprandial rise in plasma amino acid concentrations and subsequent muscle anabolic response is greater after the ingestion of animal-derived protein sources, such as dairy, meat, and eggs, than plant-based proteins. However, emerging evidence shows that a similar muscle anabolic response is observed-despite a lower and slower postprandial aminoacidemia-after the ingestion of alternative protein sources compared with animal-derived protein sources. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of plasma amino acid kinetics after the ingestion of alternative protein sources would play a significant role in recognizing and identifying the anabolic properties of these protein sources, allowing for the implementation of the best nutritional intervention strategies, contributing to more sustainable food production, and developing new medical nutritional products with optimal impacts on muscle mass, strength, and function, both in terms of health and disease. Therefore, this narrative review is focused on postprandial amino acid kinetics (the area under the curve, peak, and time to reach the peak concentration of amino acids) based on experimental randomized controlled trials performed in young and older adults following the ingestion of different novel, sustainable, and alternative protein sources.

References

Elliot T, Cree M, Sanford A, Wolfe R, Tipton K . Milk ingestion stimulates net muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006; 38(4):667-74. DOI: 10.1249/01.mss.0000210190.64458.25. View

Becker E . Micro-algae as a source of protein. Biotechnol Adv. 2007; 25(2):207-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2006.11.002. View

Moore D, Robinson M, Fry J, Tang J, Glover E, Wilkinson S . Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008; 89(1):161-8. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2008.26401. View

Cuthbertson D, Smith K, Babraj J, Leese G, Waddell T, Atherton P . Anabolic signaling deficits underlie amino acid resistance of wasting, aging muscle. FASEB J. 2004; 19(3):422-4. DOI: 10.1096/fj.04-2640fje. View

Torres-Tiji Y, Fields F, Mayfield S . Microalgae as a future food source. Biotechnol Adv. 2020; 41:107536. DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107536. View

Monteyne A, Coelho M, Porter C, Abdelrahman D, Jameson T, Finnigan T . Branched-Chain Amino Acid Fortification Does Not Restore Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates following Ingestion of Lower- Compared with Higher-Dose Mycoprotein. J Nutr. 2020; 150(11):2931-2941. DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxaa251. View

Yimam M, Andreini M, Carnevale S, Muscaritoli M . The role of algae, fungi, and insect-derived proteins and bioactive peptides in preventive and clinical nutrition. Front Nutr. 2024; 11:1461621. PMC: 11499197. DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1461621. View

Hermans W, Senden J, Churchward-Venne T, Paulussen K, Fuchs C, Smeets J . Insects are a viable protein source for human consumption: from insect protein digestion to postprandial muscle protein synthesis in vivo in humans: a double-blind randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021; 114(3):934-944. PMC: 8408844. DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/nqab115. View

Aiking H . Protein production: planet, profit, plus people?. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014; 100 Suppl 1:483S-9S. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.113.071209. View

10.

Koopman R, Beelen M, Stellingwerff T, Pennings B, Saris W, Kies A . Coingestion of carbohydrate with protein does not further augment postexercise muscle protein synthesis. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2007; 293(3):E833-42. DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00135.2007. View

11.

Hermans W, Fuchs C, Hendriks F, Houben L, Senden J, Verdijk L . Cheese Ingestion Increases Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates Both at Rest and During Recovery from Exercise in Healthy, Young Males: A Randomized Parallel-Group Trial. J Nutr. 2023; 152(4):1022-1030. DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac007. View

12.

Beals J, Sukiennik R, Nallabelli J, Emmons R, van Vliet S, Young J . Anabolic sensitivity of postprandial muscle protein synthesis to the ingestion of a protein-dense food is reduced in overweight and obese young adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016; 104(4):1014-1022. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.116.130385. View

13.

Lanng S, Oxfeldt M, Pedersen S, Johansen F, Risikesan J, Lejel T . Influence of protein source (cricket, pea, whey) on amino acid bioavailability and activation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway after resistance exercise in healthy young males. Eur J Nutr. 2022; 62(3):1295-1308. DOI: 10.1007/s00394-022-03071-y. View

14.

Pinckaers P, Kouw I, Gorissen S, Houben L, Senden J, Wodzig W . The Muscle Protein Synthetic Response to the Ingestion of a Plant-Derived Protein Blend Does Not Differ from an Equivalent Amount of Milk Protein in Healthy Young Males. J Nutr. 2022; 152(12):2734-2743. PMC: 9839989. DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxac222. View

15.

Hamer H, Wall B, Kiskini A, de Lange A, Groen B, Bakker J . Carbohydrate co-ingestion with protein does not further augment post-prandial muscle protein accretion in older men. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2013; 10(1):15. PMC: 3585863. DOI: 10.1186/1743-7075-10-15. View

16.

Oikawa S, Bahniwal R, Holloway T, Lim C, Mcleod J, McGlory C . Potato Protein Isolate Stimulates Muscle Protein Synthesis at Rest and with Resistance Exercise in Young Women. Nutrients. 2020; 12(5). PMC: 7281992. DOI: 10.3390/nu12051235. View

17.

Kaplan A, Zelicha H, Tsaban G, Meir A, Rinott E, Kovsan J . Protein bioavailability of Wolffia globosa duckweed, a novel aquatic plant - A randomized controlled trial. Clin Nutr. 2018; 38(6):2576-2582. DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2018.12.009. View

18.

Pennings B, Groen B, van Dijk J, de Lange A, Kiskini A, Kuklinski M . Minced beef is more rapidly digested and absorbed than beef steak, resulting in greater postprandial protein retention in older men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013; 98(1):121-8. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.112.051201. View

19.

Wu G . Amino acids: metabolism, functions, and nutrition. Amino Acids. 2009; 37(1):1-17. DOI: 10.1007/s00726-009-0269-0. View

20.

van Vliet S, Burd N, van Loon L . The Skeletal Muscle Anabolic Response to Plant- versus Animal-Based Protein Consumption. J Nutr. 2015; 145(9):1981-91. DOI: 10.3945/jn.114.204305. View