Effects of prolonged whey protein supplementation and resistance training on the gene expression of IGF-1 and gastrocnemius muscle weight in young male Wistar rats

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the combined effect of prolonged whey protein supplementation and resistance training on the expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) gene, the weight of the Gastrocnemius muscle and One-repetition maximum in young male Wistar rats. In this study, twenty-one young male Wistar rats, aged eight weeks and weighing between 200 to 250 grams, were randomly assigned to four groups: training (T), supplementary training (ST), Sham (Sh), and control (C). The resistance training program was conducted for six weeks, five days a week, with the training intensity increasing from 50 to 100% of the rats' body weight. The rats receiving the whey supplement via the gavage method based on their body weight, using whey production by ON company. Forty-eight hours after the final training session, the quadriceps muscles of the rats were extracted and the expression level of the IGF-1 gene was evaluated using the Real-Time PCR method. Statistical analysis was conducted using one-way variance test and Scheffe's test. The results showed that the training -supplement group exhibited a significant increase in IGF-1 expression compared to the Sham group (P˂0.05). Moreover, the weight of the Gastrocnemius muscle of rats and also One-repetition maximum in the training-supplement group significantly increased compared to the training, sham, and control groups (P˂0.05). The findings suggest that the concomitant use of resistance training and whey protein supplementation has a synergistic effect on IGF-1 gene expression in skeletal muscle, which may contribute to enhanced muscle hypertrophy and One-repetition maximum.

What is already known on this subject?

Some of the main points from this article include:

  • Resistance training can stimulate GH secretion, which in turn increases IGF-1 production.
  • Whey protein supplementation can provide essential amino acids that are necessary for IGF-1 synthesis and activation.
  • Resistance training and whey protein supplementation can activate the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, which is a signaling cascade that mediates the anabolic effects of IGF-1 on muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy.
  • The effects of resistance training and whey protein supplementation on IGF-1 regulation may be influenced by various factors, such as age, sex, and training status.
  • Resistance training and whey protein supplementation can have positive effects on muscle growth and size by impacting the metabolic regulation of IGF-1. 

 

What this study adds?

The present study was the first research that investigated the combined effect of prolonged whey protein supplementation and resistance training on the expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) gene and the weight of the Gastrocnemius muscle in young male Wistar rats. In addition, the results showed that the selected interventions can affect the regulation of insulin-like growth factor 1, and accelerate muscle growth and size.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Acknowledgements

None.

Funding

None.

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval This study was approved by the Ethical Standards of the Institutional and/or National Research Committee (SSRI.REC-2205-1628). 

Informed consent Animal study.

Author contributions

Conceptualization: F.K.S, F.Sh, M.S.; Methodology: F.K.S, F.Sh, M.S.; Software: F.K.S, F.Sh, M.S.; Validation: F.K.S, F.Sh, M.S.; Formal analysis: F.K.S, F.Sh, M.S.; Investigation: F.K.S, F.Sh, M.S.; Resources: F.K.S, F.Sh, M.S.; Data curation: F.K.S, F.Sh, M.S.; Writing - original draft: F.K.S, F.Sh, M.S.; Writing – review & editing: F.K.S, M.S.; Visualization: F.K.S, F.Sh, M.S.; Supervision: F.K.S.; Project administration: F.K.S, F.Sh, M.S.; Funding acquisition: F.K.S.

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Journal of Exercise & Organ Cross Talk
Volume 3, Issue 3
September 2023
Pages 124-131

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History

  • Receive Date: 01 July 2023
  • Revise Date: 27 August 2023
  • Accept Date: 02 September 2023

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