Muscle protein synthesis in dogs measured by flooding with L-[(2)H(5)]phenylalanine (70 mg/kg) was significantly stimulated by infusion of insulin with amino acids. The stimulation of muscle protein synthesis was similar when calculated from the enrichment of phenylalanyl-tRNA (61 +/- 10%, P < 0.001), plasma phenylalanine (61 +/- 10%, P < 0.001), or tissue fluid phenylalanine (54 +/- 10%, P < 0.001). The time course for changes in enrichment of L-[(2)H(5)]phenylalanine throughout the flooding period was determined for plasma, tissue fluid, and phenylalanyl-tRNA in the basal state and during the infusion of insulin with amino acids. Enrichments of plasma free phenylalanine and phenylalanyl-tRNA were equalized between 20 and 45 min, although the enrichment of phenylalanyl-tRNA was lower at early time points. Rates of muscle protein synthesis obtained with the flooding method and calculated from plasma phenylalanine enrichment were comparable to those calculated from phenylalanyl-tRNA and also to those obtained previously with a continuous infusion of phenylalanine with phenylalanyl-tRNA as precursor. This study confirms that, with a bolus injection of labeled phenylalanine, the enrichment of aminoacyl-tRNA, the true precursor pool for protein synthesis, can be assessed from more readily sampled plasma phenylalanine.