Moore DR, Volterman KA, Obeid J, Offord EA, Timmons BW. Postexercise protein ingestion increases whole body net protein balance in healthy children. J Appl Physiol 117: 1493-1501, 2014. First published October 23, 2014 doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00224.2014.-Postexercise protein ingestion increases whole body and muscle protein anabolism in adults. No study has specifically investigated the combined effects of exercise and protein ingestion on protein metabolism in healthy, physically active children. Under 24-h dietary control, 13 (seven males, six females) active children (ϳ11 yr old; 39.3 Ϯ 5.9 kg) consumed an oral dose of [ 15 N]glycine prior to performing a bout of exercise. Immediately after exercise, participants consumed isoenergetic mixed macronutrient beverages containing a variable amount of protein [0, 0.75, and 1.5 g/100 ml for control (CON), low protein (LP), and high protein (HP), respectively] according to fluid losses. Whole body nitrogen turnover (Q), protein synthesis (S), protein breakdown (B), and protein balance (WBPB) were measured throughout exercise and the early acute recovery period (9 h combined) as well as over 24 h. Postexercise protein intake from the beverage was ϳ0.18 and ϳ0.32 g/kg body mass for LP and HP, respectively. Q, S, and B were significantly greater (main effect time, all P Ͻ 0.001) over 9 h compared with 24 h with no differences between conditions. WBPB was also greater over 9 h compared with 24 h in all conditions (main effect time, P Ͻ 0.001). Over 9 h, WBPB was greater in HP (P Ͻ 0.05) than LP and CON with a trend (P ϭ 0.075) toward LP being greater than CON. WBPB was positive over 9 h for all conditions but only over 24 h for HP. Postexercise protein ingestion acutely increases net protein balance in healthy children early in recovery in a dose-dependent manner with larger protein intakes (ϳ0.32 g/kg) required to sustain a net anabolic environment over an entire 24 h period. protein synthesis; lean body mass; youth; physical activity; protein requirements PHYSICAL ACTIVITY is an essential component for the optimal growth and development of the musculoskeletal system in children. Greater levels of physical activity, especially those which are weight bearing and of higher intensity, have been associated with higher bone mineral density, lean mass, and strength in children (5,18,43). The net gain in lean mass with physical activity would require alterations in whole body protein turnover that would favor the net synthesis of body proteins, or, in other words, protein synthesis would be chronically elevated above protein breakdown.Despite the important role physical activity plays in remodeling lean tissues and enhancing lean body mass, few studies have determined the impact of specific episodes of exercise on protein metabolism in children. Whole body protein metabolism is characterized by the continuous turnover and renewal of body proteins through the simultaneous processes of protein synthesis and protein breakdown. Interestingly, previous research by the Rodriguez l...