Characterising skeletal muscle protein metabolism in adults with Becker Muscular Dystrophy using non-invasive approaches

Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD) is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive losses in muscle size, strength and function primarily in the thigh, shoulders and arms. Dietary protein is one factor which can contribute to the maintenance of muscle size/function in various populations, however, the common dietary protein habits of individuals with BMD have not been characterized. Moreover, other populations with reduced muscle size/strength, for example sarcopenic individuals, exhibit impaired protein turnover responses to dietary protein ingestion although this is also yet to be investigated in BMD. Importantly, our group (and collaborators) have pioneered several techniques which assess indices of muscle protein turnover in a non-/minimally-invasive manner, providing us with methods that can be easily applied to clinical populations with low participant burden.

This PhD studentship will utilize these techniques in individuals with BMD to understand how their bodies utilize ingested protein for muscle protein turnover in addition to determining if muscle size, strength and function can be improved by chronic protein supplementation. The successful applicant will gain experience with working with this clinical population at our partner organization, Neuromuscular Centre, Winsford as well as undertaking in-depth analytical laboratory analyses within our own world-leading facilities and those of collaborators (University of Nottingham).

This 4-year PhD studentship has the following aims:

1. To characterise common dietary habits of individuals with Becker Muscular Dystrophy and determine if these are associated with muscle size, strength and/or function.
2. To investigate, using non-/minimally-invasive methods, if protein turnover in response to dietary protein ingestion is impaired in individuals with Becker Muscular Dystrophy.
3. To determine if chronic protein supplementation in individuals with BMD can improve, or offset losses, in skeletal muscle size, strength and function.