Food ingestion in an upright sitting position increases postprandial amino acid availability when compared with food ingestion in a lying down position

Andrew M. Holwerda, Kaatje Lenaerts, Jorgen Bierau, Will K. W. H. Wodzig, Luc J. C. van Loon*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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Abstract

Dietary protein digestion and absorption kinetics determine the postprandial increase in muscle protein synthesis. We recently demonstrated that body position during feeding can modulate the postprandial rise in plasma amino acid availability. Here we investigated whether protein ingestion in an upright sitting body position accelerates gastric emptying and improves dietary protein digestion and subsequent amino acid absorption compared with feeding in a supine lying body position. In a crossover design, 8 young males (age, 26 +/- 1 years; body mass index, 24.0 +/- 0.9 kg.m(-2)) ingested 20 g intrinsically L-[1-C-13]-phenylalanine-labeled milk protein plus 1.5 g paracetamol while sitting in an upright position or lying down in a supine position. Blood samples were collected frequently during a 5-h postprandial period. Gastric emptying rates and dietary protein digestion and absorption were assessed using plasma paracetamol and amino acid concentrations as well as plasma L-[1-C-13]-phenylalanine enrichments. Peak plasma leucine concentrations were higher when protein was ingested in an upright sitting versus lying position (213 +/- 15 vs 193 +/- 12 +/- mol.L-1, P <0.05), which was accompanied by a trend for a greater overall leucine response (13 989 +/- 720 vs 11 875 +/- 1073 AU, respectively; P = 0.05). Peak plasma paracetamol concentrations were higher in the sitting versus lying treatment (11.6 +/- 0.5 vs 9.3 +/- 0.6 mg.L-1, P <0.05). Protein ingestion in an upright sitting position accelerates gastric emptying and increases the postprandial rise in plasma amino acid availability by increasing protein digestion and amino acid absorption rates. Therefore, feeding in an upright body position as opposed to a lying position is an important prerequisite to allow proper postprandial muscle protein accretion.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)738-743
Number of pages6
JournalApplied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism-Physiologie appliquee nutrition et metabolisme
Volume42
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2017

Keywords

  • protein
  • digestion
  • gastric emptying
  • body position
  • amino acids
  • leucine
  • postprandial
  • MYOFIBRILLAR PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS
  • GLP-1 ANALOG LIRAGLUTIDE
  • ANABOLIC RESISTANCE
  • DIGESTION RATE
  • WHEY-PROTEIN
  • ELDERLY-MEN
  • OLDER MEN
  • MUSCLE
  • MILK
  • METABOLISM

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