Please note: This trial has finished recruiting and is not accepting new participants.

Research Center: McMaster University
Location: 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
Principal Investigator: Dr. Stuart Phillips
IRB: This study has been reviewed and approved by the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board (HiREB) under Project #16408

We all know that resistance training is a powerful tool to rebuild lost muscle mass, but did you know that what you eat plays a crucial role in enhancing these effects? Not all proteins are created equal when it comes to muscle growth. Join researchers on this exciting journey to discover how the right combination of exercise and a specific plant-based protein blend can help you regain your muscle as you age.

Researchers from McMaster University seek to study the effects of a plant-based protein blend and weightlifting on muscle building in older adults and they need your help! By joining, you’ll not only be contributing to valuable scientific research, but you’ll also gain insights on how the right combination of plant-based protein and weightlifting can be a game-changer for your quality of life.

• Participants may help contribute to the development of plant-based proteins, with or without resistance exercise, designed to improve how one’s muscles grow and function.
• Participants will receive a consultation about proper protein consumption for healthy muscles at no cost.
• Participants will be compensated for participating in this study. Compensation will only be provided to eligible participants who complete the study.
• Participants will be helping to advance research.

• If you decide to participate in the study and later feel that you no longer wish to be part of it, you can withdraw at any time.
• Any information that you provide will be kept strictly confidential, except as required by law.
• Qualified health professionals will monitor your health as it relates to the study.

• Men and women aged 60 -80 who are generally healthy and moderately active but do not engage in a structured training program (e.g., gym for lifting weight over 3 days/week)
• Must be able and willing to provide blood samples
• Must not be using any assistive walking devices (e.g., a cane or walker)
• Must not smoke or consume any tobacco-containing products
• Must not have a history of cancer within the past 5 years (with exemption to basal cell carcinoma, non-squamous skin carcinoma, prostate cancer, or carcinoma in situ with no significant progression over the past 2 years)
• Must not be diagnosed with any major bone and joint, heart and blood vessel, lung and breathing, kidney, liver, or infectious diseases.
• Must also not be diagnosed with any immune, metabolic/endocrine (body chemistry and hormone), neuromuscular, or bone wasting disorders.
• Must not be diagnosed with any cachexia-related conditions (e.g., relating to cancer, tuberculosis, or human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome) or any genetic muscle diseases or disorders.
• Must not experience persistent, severe diarrhea, frequent vomiting, difficulty swallowing, a tendency to bleed excessively, or any issues with their blood’s ability to clot
• Must not have had antiplatelet/anticoagulation therapy (up to 81mg of baby aspirin per day taken as a prophylactic is permitted)
• Must be able to attend 2 study visits at the research site over approximately 2 weeks

The study team will explain the research in its entirety but some details are:

• Participants will be randomly assigned to consume 20g of one of the following: milk protein, corn protein, corn+pea protein, or non-protein (~2g of carbohydrate). They will also be randomly allocated to perform 3 sets of single-leg extensions.
• Participants will be required to complete 1 screening visit (1.5 hours) and 1 main study visit (infusion visit, 8.5 hours), for a total of 2 visits. The infusion visit can be scheduled on any date after 3 days of the screening visit.
• Participants will be required to maintain a 3-day diet log. They will also be asked to undergo the following tests: Anthropometrics and Body Composition, Strength Testing, Resistance Exercise Protocol, Catheterization and Blood Sample Collection, Skeletal Muscle Biopsies, and Stable Isotope Labeled Amino Acid Infusion.

McMaster University
McMaster University is a public institution that was founded in 1887. The Canadian university’s main campus is in a suburban neighborhood of Hamilton, Ontario, near the western edge of Lake Ontario and not far from the U.S. border. Other campuses are located in downtown Hamilton, Burlington, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Niagara. The university’s international students hail from more than 75 countries, and its full-time faculty members come from more than 55. Tuition costs are higher for non-Canadian students. University-operated student housing is available, with options including themed living communities such as an all-female community, a healthy active living community, and a global perspectives community.

Please note:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers would like to assure the participants that ensuring their and the study staff’s safety is of utmost importance.