Initial Dietary Protein Intake Influence Muscle Function Adaptations in Older Men and Women Following High-Intensity Interval Training Combined with Citrulline

Fanny Buckinx (1, 2, 3) , Vincent Marcangeli (1, 2) , Lívia Pinheiro Carvalho (1, 2) , Maude Dulac (1) , Guy Hajj Boutros (1, 2) , Gilles Gouspillou (1, 2) , Pierrette Gaudreau , José Morais (4) , Philippe Noirez (1, 5, 6) , Mylène Aubertin-Leheudre (1, 2)

1 UQAM - Université du Québec à Montréal = University of Québec in Montréal
2 CRIUGM - Centre de recherche de l'Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montreal
3 WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Aspects of Musculoskeletal Health and Aging
4 MUHC - McGill University Health Center [Montreal]
5 IRMES - URP_7329 - Institut de recherche biomédicale et d’épidémiologie du sport
6 PSMS - Performance, Santé, Métrologie, Société - EA 7507

Background: This study evaluates whether the initial amount of dietary protein intake could influence the combined effect of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and citrulline (CIT), or HIIT alone, on body composition, muscle strength, and functional capacities in obese older adults. Methods: Seventy-three sedentary obese older men and women who completed a 12-week elliptical HIIT program with double-blinded randomized supplementation of CIT or placebo (PLA) were divided into four groups according to their initial protein intake (CIT-PROT+: n = 21; CIT-PROT−: n = 19; PLA-PROT+: n = 19; PLA-PROT−: n = 14). Body composition (fat and fat-free masses), handgrip (HSr) strength, knee extensor (KESr) strength, muscle power, and functional capacities were measured pre-intervention and post-intervention. Results: Following the intervention, the four groups improved significantly regarding all the parameters measured. For the same initial amount of protein intake, the CIT-PROT− group decreased more gynoid fat mass (p = 0.04) than the PLA-PROT− group. The CIT-PROT+ group increased more KESr (p = 0.04) than the PLA-PROT+ group. In addition, the CIT-PROT− group decreased more gynoid FM (p = 0.02) and improved more leg FFM (p = 0.02) and HSr (p = 0.02) than the CIT-PROT+ group. Conclusion: HIIT combined with CIT induced greater positive changes than in the PLA groups. The combination seems more beneficial in participants consuming less than 1 g/kg/d of protein, since greater improvements on body composition and muscle strength were observed.

Mots clés: HIIT; citrulline; protein intake; functional capacities; muscle function; aging

Domaines: Alimentation et Nutrition; Gériatrie et gérontologie; Physiologie du sport

Fanny Buckinx, Vincent Marcangeli, Lívia Pinheiro Carvalho, Maude Dulac, Guy Hajj Boutros, et al.. Initial Dietary Protein Intake Influence Muscle Function Adaptations in Older Men and Women Following High-Intensity Interval Training Combined with Citrulline. Nutrients, 2019, 11 (7), pp.1685. ⟨10.3390/nu11071685⟩. ⟨hal-02924791⟩