There are many populations, such as elderly, burn patients, bedridden, etc., that are susceptible to loss of muscle mass and strength. Thus, we are investigating the metabolic mechanisms that are responsible for controlling muscle growth and possible nutritional interventions to increase the potential for growth. Resistance exercise training clearly results in increased muscle size and strength. The balance between muscle protein synthesis, that is, building the proteins that make up muscle, and muscle protein breakdown, that is, breaking down these proteins, determines muscle growth. Both muscle protein synthesis and breakdown are continuous, so that in order for muscles to grow, synthesis must exceed breakdown. Resistance trained individuals have a reduced response of muscle protein metabolism to an individual bout or resistance exercise than do untrained individuals. It is likely that this explains the """"""""""""""""plateau"""""""""""""""" effect that most people face when they workout for a period of weeks. This study was designed to determine if the intake of certain amino acids following a resistance exercise workout will be more effective stimulating muscle protein anabolism, i.e., growth, following resistance exercise training than before training.
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