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Protein metabolism

Slow and fast dietary proteins

Nature volume 391, pages 843–845 (1998)Cite this article

Although the physiological effects of different types of fatty acid and carbohydrate are relatively well known, the effects of protein composition on metabolic processes have been investigated less extensively. But, writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Boirie et al.1 seek to close this gap in our knowledge. By analogy with dietary carbohydrates, the authors apply the concept of ‘slow’ and ‘fast’ proteins, according to the speed at which proteins are digested and amino acids are absorbed from the gut. And they conclude that slow and fast proteins differentially modulate whole-body protein deposition after a meal.

Boirie et al. studied the effect of two milk proteins — casein and whey protein — on postprandial whole-body protein metabolism. They combined oral and intravenous administration of intrinsically labelled and unlabelled proteins, to circumvent some of the technical problems of trying to measure amino-acid kinetics after a meal. Healthy adults were given whey protein, and the authors observed a high, rapid and transient peak in plasma amino-acid levels. This was associated with a pronounced increase in protein synthesis, but no change in protein breakdown. By contrast, after a casein meal, the plasma amino-acid profile was lower, slower and prolonged. The whole-body metabolic response consisted of a slight increase in protein synthesis, but a marked inhibition of protein breakdown. According to the speed at which amino acids appeared in the bloodstream, the authors classified whey protein as a fast protein and casein as a slow protein.

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Figure 1: The two-pool model for protein turnover.

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  1. the MRC Dunn Clinical Nutrition Centre, Hills Road, CB2 2DH, Cambridge, UK

    Gema Frühbeck

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  1. Gema Frühbeck
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Frühbeck, G. Slow and fast dietary proteins. Nature 391, 843–845 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/35993

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