The Effect of Whey Peptides and Micronutrients on Improving Exercise Performance in Mice

TL;DR

This study shows that combining whey peptides and micronutrients improves exercise performance in mice by reducing fatigue and muscle injury.

Contribution

The study demonstrates a synergistic effect of whey peptides and micronutrients in enhancing exercise performance and reducing fatigue in mice.

Findings

Mice receiving a combination of whey peptides and micronutrients showed increased muscle mass and strength.

The combination reduced oxidative stress and immune activation in muscle tissue.

The supplement improved running and swimming endurance in mice.

Abstract

Background: Durative exercise-induced fatigue influences muscle structure and exercise performance. Dietary supplements combining bioavailable proteins with essential vitamins and minerals may help reduce fatigue. Compared with proteins, whey peptides, as easily absorbed energy sources, are regarded as better promoting the utilization of vitamins and minerals. This study investigated whether the combination of whey peptides and micronutrients could synergistically improve exercise-induced fatigue and exercise performance. Methods: Four-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were forced to exercise using a treadmill for four weeks to evaluate the supplemental effects of whey peptides and/or micronutrients on exercise performance. Results: Compared with mice receiving whey peptides or micronutrients alone, mice receiving a combination of whey peptides and micronutrients displayed increased muscle mass, muscle fiber cross-sectional area, muscle strength, and exercise performance, including running exhausting time and swimming exhausting time. Consistent results were obtained in detecting fatigue-associated serum metabolites and markers reflecting muscle injury. To elucidate the anti-fatigue mechanisms of whey peptides and micronutrients, RNA transcriptome in the muscle tissues were analyzed. Enrichment analysis results suggest that micronutrients and/or whey protein alleviate exercise-induced fatigue, not only via reducing oxidative stress but also repressing excessive immune activation in muscle tissue, thereby decreasing the tissue injury caused by strenuous exercise. Conclusions: Overall, the current study indicates that the combination of whey peptides and micronutrients produces a synergistic effect on promoting exercise performance. Our findings provide scientific evidence for the development of novel and efficient anti-fatigue functional foods using whey peptides and micronutrients.

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