CNS_SCN-Thematic-Protein-Conference-Newsletter-Feb-11-2015

CNS-SCN Newsletter A Review of the CNS-SCN Thematic Conference & Upcoming Events CNS-SCN Newsletter Editorial Committee: Laura Chiavaroli, MSc, PhDc, Student Executive Secretary Brand

CNS-SCN Newsletter

A Review of the CNS-SCN Thematic Conference

& Upcoming Events

CNS-SCN Newsletter Editorial Committee:

Laura Chiavaroli, MSc, PhD(c), Student Executive Secretary

Brandon Gheller, MSc, PhD student, National University Liaison

Cassandra Gentile, BSc, BASc(c), National Student Communications Director

For more information, visit: http://www.cns-scn.ca/

Featuring Keynote Speakers:

Dr Paul Pencharz, University of Toronto

&

Dr Robert Wolfe, University of Arkansas for Medical

Sciences

On January 10th, 2015, nutritional scientists, dietitians, students, physicians, and nurses attended the Canadian Nutrition Society’s (CNS-SCN) annual thematic conference, “Advances in Protein Nutrition Across the Lifespan”

Conference Chair, Dr David Ma welcomed participants and introduced the Thematic Conference format as an ongoing initiative designed to meet the demands of Canadian health practitioners and scientists in an age of rapid knowledge production The current president of CNS-SCN, Dr Robert Bertolo mentioned the possibility

of a micronutrient thematic conference for 2016 now that the latest

on the macronutrients has been reviewed

The first keynote speaker, Dr Paul Pencharz, from the

University of Toronto and The Hospital for Sick Children,

delivered a talk on “Protein and Amino Acid Requirements in

Health and Disease – What We Have Learned and What are the

Remaining Gaps.” He outlined the history of protein research from

Voit’s determination of a requirement of 1 g of protein/kg/day to

the nitrogen balance studies that subsequently informed the

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), and the application of

the modern indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) technique The

research presented suggests that the current RDA underestimates

needs and that Voit was likely right

A Complete Overview By: Brandon Gheller, MSc, PhD Student CNS-SCN Student Executive, National University Liaison

Recap of the 2014 CNS-SCN Thematic Conference on

Advances in Protein Nutrition Across the Lifespan

For the second half of the morning session, Dr Rajavel Elango from the University of British Columbia and the BC Children’s Hospital revisited the adequacy of current protein public health recommendations Dr Elango focused his talk on different life stages, with a particular focus on pregnancy and childhood His conclusions aligned closely with Dr Pencharz’s in that current recommendations are too low

The second speaker, Dr Stuart Phillips from McMaster

University then shifted focus and discussed athletes’ need to focus

on the timing of protein consumption Based on available data, Dr

Phillips lent his support to four meals with an even protein

distribution including one before sleep

The afternoon sessions began with an introduction of the second keynote speaker from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Professor Dr Robert Wolfe Dr Wolfe discussed how the term “Recommended Dietary Allowance”

should actually be interpreted as the minimal amount of protein that will prevent symptoms of protein deficiency in most individuals Dr Wolfe advised that typically, people would benefit

from consuming more than the minimal amount of protein recommended Dr Wolfe then defined the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score, a method of protein quality quantification recommended by an expert consultation of the Food and Agriculture Organization

Dr John Hoffer from McGill University and the Jewish

General Hospital in Montréal, followed with a presentation on

the failings in both design and analysis of available randomized

clinical trials Dr Hoffer gave a thorough assessment of the

recently published review article in the New England Journal

of Medicine, “Nutrition in the Acute Phase of Critical Illness”

He called attention to the bias within the medical community in

failing to recognize the significant differences between

nutrition and calories He concluded the review was correct in

their assessment that an increase of calories in the critical care

setting may not have benefits, however their similar conclusion

about protein was false

Moving from the ICU to the elderly population,

Dr Stephanie Chevalier from McGill University reviewed current literature as it relates to protein nutrition in the aging population The loss of muscle mass and strength with age in older adults, known as sarcopenia, is caused, in part, by insufficient protein intake Dr Chevalier emphasized that total protein intake is only one consideration and that protein quality, digestibility, and distribution are important for an anabolic response A 30g-of-protein-per-meal anabolic threshold was proposed, where consuming less than this amount during a meal would result in a suboptimal postprandial anabolic response leading to greater muscle loss with age

Page 4

A Complete Overview continued

In the second part of the afternoon session, Dr André Marette from Laval University presented on “Proteins and Metabolic Diseases.” Dr Marette showed convincing data derived from molecular and in vivo models that demonstrated the ability of different dietary proteins to impact insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism via the regulation of the insulin signaling pathways

Dr Heather Leidy from the University of Missouri then reviewed the role of protein on food intake in the short term She presented data showing the ability of protein to decrease levels of hormones affecting appetite,

subjective appetite feelings, next meal, and total day food intake

Protein was particularly effective when a higher amount was given at

breakfast reinforcing the idea that a redistribution of protein intake

would be beneficial since protein intake at breakfast is typically low

The day ended with Dr Ma thanking attendees, speakers, student volunteers and corporate sponsors before ending the conference with a reminder about the upcoming annual meeting in Manitoba

For more information, please visit: http://www.cns-scn.ca/proteinconference/overview

Page 5

CNS Student Volunteers: Vivian Choo, Laura Chiavaroli, Sara

Oikawa, Amanda Milburn

CNS Student Volunteer for Photography:

Mahshid Moghei

Thank you to the Conference Planning Committee,

Student Volunteers and Sponsors!

A Review of the 2015 CNS Thematic Conference

By: Allison Wilkin, PhD(c) University of Guelph

Page 7 Conference Highlights

2014 CNS-SCN Conference on Advances in

Protein Nutrition Across the Lifespan

Allison Wilkin is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the

University of Guelph and is supervised by Dr Kelly Meckling

The CNS Thematic Conference on January 10th was my first attendance at a CNS-hosted event and I had a wonderful experience This one-day conference was filled with

engaging speakers and was truly a delight to attend

I chose to attend this event, not because it directly related to my research, but because I

felt the range of topics covered by the speakers would help me gain a more expansive grasp of

nutrition in humans That, along with the networking potential at this event, made for a very

fulfilling day

I greatly enjoyed the lecture given by Dr Robert Wolfe, who shed some light on what

defines a source of good quality protein I was surprised by the great disparity expressed between the quality of meat and non-meat sources!

I also had the chance to present a poster of my current research at the event The conference provided ample time to showcase my work to other attendees and gave me valuable practice with exhibiting my research and answering questions Posters were not limited to a focus on protein, so the range of nutritional science topics was of great interest

And what is a nutrition conference without mentioning the food! I’d like to thank the

conference sponsors for providing

excellent meals and snacks

throughout the day and to the

sponsor booths for their

information, as well as providing

handy tokens on behalf of the

companies

Overall, the conference

provided excellent speakers and a

great networking opportunity, and

I look forward to future CNS

events

A Review of the 2015 CNS Thematic Conference

By: Peter Radonic, HBSc University of Toronto

Conference Highlights

2015 CNS-SCN Conference on Advances in

Protein Nutrition Across the Lifespan

Peter Radonic is a Senior Research Assistant in the Human Physiology Research Laboratory at the University of Toronto with Dr Greg Wells.

The 2015 CNS Thematic Conference was my first CNS conference I greatly enjoyed having this chance to explore and learn about the latest advances in protein metabolism as well as amino acid requirements and recommendations Being able to network and meet with some truly great scientists and researchers in the field of protein gave me a great perspective

on the future direction of the current field

Although the day was filled with many riveting talks by distinguished speakers, I found that the presentation from Dr Rajavel Elango stood out the most to me His talk about the work he has done into maternal and pediatric populations and how it can be applied to help millions in developing nations was inspiring, and revealing of just how important the work we

do as researchers can be

I was privileged to be one of the poster presenters which allowed me to talk about my own work with many other researchers in varying fields While the other poster presenters had topics of varying relation to protein research, it was a great chance to get input from a wide background of researchers and I feel that I came away from the day with a new outlook on my own current research projects

I would like to thank the sponsors of the event, for whom without it would not have been possible It’s great to see

companies developing new products

that use the latest science to advance

human nutrition and well-being

I had an excellent time at the

CNS conference listening to and

learning from some of the greatest

minds in the nutritional and protein

fields I look forward to next year’s

2016 CNS conference, and the ample

opportunities that it will bring for

further exploration and discussion

A Review of the 2015 CNS Thematic Conference

By: Muhammad Umair Arshad, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow

University of Toronto

Conference Highlights

2015 CNS-SCN Conference on Advances in

Protein Nutrition Across the Lifespan

Muhammad Umair Arshad is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and is supervised by Dr Harvey Anderson

I would like to thank the Canadian Nutrition Society (CNS) for hosting the Thematic Conference entitled “Advances in Dietary Protein Nutrition across the Lifespan.” This conference was very interesting and gave me the opportunity to learn many issues related to the importance of proteins in human health As a member of the research group of Dr Harvey

G Anderson, from the University of Toronto, it was a very enriching experience for me to attend this conference

The conference was well attended Many nutritionists, dietitians and physicians from government and private institutions were present from Ontario and Nationwide I attended all

of the talks and the panel discussions during the conference day Most of the speakers discussed the need for increasing the protein portion in a healthy diet and focused on the need

to increase the RDA value for proteins I was most engaged by Dr Heather Leidy from the University of Missouri, as her talk on the role of protein in satiety and weight management was particularly interesting and related to my field of expertise Our group is working on similar aspects of different food components for the regulation of appetite and glycaemia

I also presented my poster entitled “Acute effects of lentil fractions on short-term subjective appetite and post-prandial glycaemia in healthy young men”, supported by Saskatchewan Pulse Growers

During the poster session, I

enjoyed speaking to others about

my research findings It was great

to meet so many talented

professionals from the food

industry within Canada, who

showcased their products in the

exhibition hall Overall, I

thoroughly enjoyed the CNS

event and it was a great

opportunity to extend my

networking with leading scientists

in the field of nutrition in Canada

Delegates’ Perspectives on the

2015 CNS-SCN Thematic Conference on Advances

in Protein Nutrition Across the Lifespan

Perspective from a Medical Student:

[Heather Sawula BScH Kin, MD Candidate 2015, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto]

1 Why did you choose to attend the conference?

One of my colleagues, Erika Reiser, previously attended the CNS

conference and recommended it to me I was interested in learning more

about the evidence and recommendations for protein for the variety of

populations I will encounter throughout my career

2 What sessions did you attend?

I attended all of the sessions offered

3 Of the sessions you attended, which did you find applied to your

work the most?

I found many of the talks very relevant as I work with a variety of

populations through my medical training Most relevant to my training

were the sessions on protein requirements for aging populations, optimizing exercise adaptations, and the effects of protein for weight management I will undoubtedly encounter our growing population of

elderly patients and these sessions provided me with the tools to better understand their needs and

provide education

4 Which of the speakers of the sessions did you find the most engaging? Which were the most effective?

I really enjoyed the talks by both Dr Stuart Phillips and Dr Heather Leidy I thought they were very engaging and memorable speakers and effectively translated their research for meaningful take home

messages for the audience They were an absolute pleasure to listen to!

5 Did you enjoy the conference as a whole?

I really enjoyed the conference overall! It provided a different focus than I normally see in medicine which enriched my understanding of the breadth of the field and gave me the opportunity to network

with others in the field

6 Please feel free to mention any other comments you may have

I would have been interested to listen to a speaker with research in alternative protein sources (such as plant or egg) to help round out my understanding of the evidence supporting these sources, and be able to address concerns of vegetarian/vegan patients