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Nutrients
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Protein and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism
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Protein and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Proteins and Amino Acids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 August 2025 | Viewed by 4947

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Donny Camera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Health and Biostatistics, Swinburne University, Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia
Interests: nutrition; sport science; cell biology and biochemistry; molecular biology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dietary protein intake is crucial for numerous physiological functions, particularly skeletal muscle growth and maintenance. Several important considerations exist to maximize the prospective anabolic and metabolic effects of protein intake: the daily amount, timing, and daily distribution of protein sources; the source of protein (i.e., animal, plant, etc.); and the type of protein and/or associated matrix (liquid or whole food).  

This Special Issue of Nutrients is dedicated to focusing on these different parameters of dietary protein, with skeletal muscle a key emphasis. Submissions from human participants of varying ages are strongly focused.

Dr. Donny Camera
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hypertrophy
  • protein quantity
  • distribution
  • food matrix
  • protein source
  • amino acids
  • skeletal muscle

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 266 KiB  
Article
Clinical Competency in Managing Malnutrition–Sarcopenia Syndrome Among Physical Therapists: A Cross-Sectional Survey
by Roy Netzer, Netanel Levi, Kayla Ganchrow, Yfat Naan and Michal Elboim-Gabyzon
Nutrients 2025, 17(2), 281; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17020281 - 14 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1057
Abstract
Background/objectives: Malnutrition and sarcopenia are interrelated health concerns among the elderly. Each condition is associated with increased mortality, morbidity, rehospitalization rates, longer hospital stays, higher healthcare costs, and reduced quality of life. Their combination leads to the development of “Malnutrition–Sarcopenia Syndrome” (MSS), characterized [...] Read more.
Background/objectives: Malnutrition and sarcopenia are interrelated health concerns among the elderly. Each condition is associated with increased mortality, morbidity, rehospitalization rates, longer hospital stays, higher healthcare costs, and reduced quality of life. Their combination leads to the development of “Malnutrition–Sarcopenia Syndrome” (MSS), characterized by reductions in body weight, muscle mass, strength, and physical function. Despite being preventable and reversible through nutritional and physical interventions, the clinical competence of physical therapists (PTs) in managing MSS remains underexplored. This study aims to assess the clinical competency of PTs in MSS management. Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to August 2024 among 337 certified PTs in Israel, using the “Qualtrics” platform. The survey assessed prior familiarity with MSS concepts, MSS knowledge levels, screening and treatment skills, attitudes and beliefs toward MSS management, and interprofessional collaboration practices. Results: While 52% of PTs were familiar with MSS, familiarity with diagnostic guidelines was low (EWGSOP2: 3.6%; GLIM: 0.6%). The MSS knowledge score was moderate, but screening and treatment skills were low. Attitudes toward MSS management were moderately positive, but self-belief in diagnosing and treating MSS was low. Interprofessional collaboration was limited, particularly in malnutrition care. PTs familiar with MSS had higher knowledge, better skills, more positive attitudes and beliefs, and greater interprofessional collaboration. Conclusions: Significant gaps exist in the clinical competency of Israeli PTs in MSS management. Integrating MSS content into physical therapy curricula and providing continuing professional development are necessary to enhance competencies. Equipping PTs with essential tools, clarifying roles, and promoting interprofessional collaboration can optimize MSS management and improve patient outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protein and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism)

Review

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34 pages, 710 KiB  
Review
The Influence of Vegan, Vegetarian, and Omnivorous Diets on Protein Metabolism: A Role for the Gut–Muscle Axis?
by Waed Al-Refai, Stephen Keenan, Donny M. Camera and Matthew B. Cooke
Nutrients 2025, 17(7), 1142; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071142 - 26 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1711
Abstract
There has been a growing interest globally in vegan and vegetarian diets over the last decade for a combination of health, ethical, environmental, spiritual, and social reasons. In line with this popularity, research examining the role of plant-based food sources, including vegan and [...] Read more.
There has been a growing interest globally in vegan and vegetarian diets over the last decade for a combination of health, ethical, environmental, spiritual, and social reasons. In line with this popularity, research examining the role of plant-based food sources, including vegan and vegetarian diets, in supporting skeletal muscle remodeling and anabolism in humans has also received considerable attention. The emergence of the microbiota-gut–muscle axis, a bidirectional pathway where the gut microbiota impacts skeletal muscle and vice versa, has been suggested as a potential mediator of food and nutrition’s influence on the mechanistic processes that regulate muscle mass and function. Considering inherent nutritional differences between vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous diets related to the fiber and macronutrient content, presence of anti-nutritional factors, and diverse food and supplemental sources for obtaining protein, it stands to reason that the regulation of the microbiota–gut–muscle axis via diet-induced changes in gut microbiota composition and function may be dissimilar. However, whether this translates into differential effects on the skeletal muscle is unclear. This review article aims to provide a contemporary perspective for how variations in gut microbiota linked to vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous diets may be a potential mechanism for influencing protein metabolism in skeletal muscle mass via a purported microbiota-gut–muscle axis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protein and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism)
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18 pages, 1276 KiB  
Review
Postprandial Aminoacidemia Following the Ingestion of Alternative and Sustainable Proteins in Humans: A Narrative Review
by Mohammed Ahmed Yimam, Martina Andreini, Sara Carnevale and Maurizio Muscaritoli
Nutrients 2025, 17(2), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17020211 - 8 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1837
Abstract
There is a pressing need to expand the production and consumption of alternative protein sources from plants, fungi, insects, and algae from both nutritional and sustainability perspectives. It is well known that the postprandial rise in plasma amino acid concentrations and subsequent muscle [...] Read more.
There is a pressing need to expand the production and consumption of alternative protein sources from plants, fungi, insects, and algae from both nutritional and sustainability perspectives. It is well known that the postprandial rise in plasma amino acid concentrations and subsequent muscle anabolic response is greater after the ingestion of animal-derived protein sources, such as dairy, meat, and eggs, than plant-based proteins. However, emerging evidence shows that a similar muscle anabolic response is observed—despite a lower and slower postprandial aminoacidemia—after the ingestion of alternative protein sources compared with animal-derived protein sources. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of plasma amino acid kinetics after the ingestion of alternative protein sources would play a significant role in recognizing and identifying the anabolic properties of these protein sources, allowing for the implementation of the best nutritional intervention strategies, contributing to more sustainable food production, and developing new medical nutritional products with optimal impacts on muscle mass, strength, and function, both in terms of health and disease. Therefore, this narrative review is focused on postprandial amino acid kinetics (the area under the curve, peak, and time to reach the peak concentration of amino acids) based on experimental randomized controlled trials performed in young and older adults following the ingestion of different novel, sustainable, and alternative protein sources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Protein and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism)
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