{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,29]],"date-time":"2026-08-29T02:18:25Z","timestamp":1787969905857,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"13","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,25]],"date-time":"2025-06-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750809600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"NIH\/NIAMS","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["AR0537"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AR0537"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"NIH\/NIAMS","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Project#1855"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Project#1855"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Dairy Research Institute","award":["AR0537"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AR0537"]}]},{"name":"Dairy Research Institute","award":["Project#1855"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Project#1855"]}]},{"name":"Yale Bone Center","award":["AR0537"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AR0537"]}]},{"name":"Yale Bone Center","award":["Project#1855"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Project#1855"]}]},{"name":"University Research Challenge Fund (URCF), New York University","award":["AR0537"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["AR0537"]}]},{"name":"University Research Challenge Fund (URCF), New York University","award":["Project#1855"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Project#1855"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Studies have reported an increased risk of type 2 diabetes among people with higher protein intake. Moreover, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are reported to be positively associated with insulin resistance (IR). However, it is not understood whether elevated levels of BCAA are causal to IR development, or if higher BCAA are a marker of IR. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of long-term protein and carbohydrate supplementation on plasma BCAA levels, and the relationship between plasma BCAA and IR in postmenopausal women. Methods: Stored samples and data from 84 postmenopausal women who participated in a protein supplementation trial (SPOON) were included. Exclusion criteria consisted of protein intakes less than 0.6 g\/kg or greater than 1.0 g\/kg, a body mass index (BMI) greater than 32 kg\/m2 or less than 19 kg\/m2 diseases, and conditions and medications known to impact musculoskeletal health. Subjects were randomized to a whey protein (PRO: n = 38) or maltodextrin supplement (CHO: n = 46) for 18 months. Plasma BCAA, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and body composition were analyzed at baseline and 18 months. Results: At baseline, there were no significant associations between plasma BCAA and IR. There were also no significant changes in plasma BCAA or IR by study arm. However, there was a significant positive association between plasma BCAA and IR in both groups at 18 months (CHO: r = 0.35, p = 0.02; PRO: r = 0.35, p = 0.03). Conclusions: Findings from this study warrant future research to examine other diet and lifestyle factors that may mediate the relationship between circulating BCAA and IR in postmenopausal women.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu17132104","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,25]],"date-time":"2025-06-25T08:23:22Z","timestamp":1750839802000},"page":"2104","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Protein Supplementation, Plasma Branched-Chain Amino Acids, and Insulin Resistance in Postmenopausal Women: An Ancillary Study from the Supplemental Protein to Outsmart Osteoporosis Now (SPOON) Trial"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Jessica Dauz","family":"Bihuniak","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ 07043, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alessandra","family":"Byer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Mather Medical Group, Northwell Health, Port Jefferson, NY 11777, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Christine A.","family":"Simpson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rebecca R.","family":"Sullivan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5356-1109","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Josephine M.","family":"Dudzik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6973-5679","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karl L.","family":"Insogna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9343-6895","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jeannette M.","family":"Beasley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA"},{"name":"Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1600","DOI":"10.3945\/ajcn.111.018648","article-title":"Biomarker-calibrated dietary energy and protein intake associations with diabetes risk among postmenopausal women from the Women\u2019s Health Initiative","volume":"94","author":"Tinker","year":"2011","journal-title":"Am. 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