When individuals with a mostly sedentary lifestyle get motivated and start an exercise program, they will see additional improvements in muscle strength if they include a protein supplement as part of their program.
This was the primary finding of a study on whey-protein shake benefits conducted by researchers at the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg, Germany.
The study was published in Nutrients in August 2024.
According to the researchers, combining whey protein with both aerobic and resistance training culminated in measurable gains in muscle strength—especially leg muscles—when compared to a placebo.
The study period was eight weeks, and the daily protein provided via the whey-protein shake was 40 grams. The whey-protein was provided by a large multi-national manufacturer based in Germany.
The study is not the first of this kind; in fact, a number of similar studies have come to the same conclusions. One notable example is a 2017 study conducted at Tufts University.
In that study, published in The Journals of Gerontology, researchers concluded, “Nutritional supplementation combined with physical activity improved muscle composition in mobility-limited older adults.”
In the current German study, researchers referred to the earlier research in their selection of a 40-gram protein dose: “According to previous research, consumption of 40 g of protein after termination of exercise appears to be a very effective approach to increase synthesis rates of muscle protein in healthy subjects.”
Study details
To conduct the study researchers recruited 44 untrained but healthy participants of both genders. Participants were aged between 21 and 33, and, as part of the research requirements, were not currently participating in either a supplement or exercise regimen.
After preliminary fitness review, the participants were instructed to conduct two sessions per week of a “concurrent training” program.
Concurrent training refers to an exercise program where aerobic exercise (cycling or treadmill) is performed in the same session as resistance (weights) exercise.
Protein points to ponder
from our earlier posts:
• Protein supplementing only works when coupled with exercise.
• There is a “dose response” in protein supplementing, and the upper limit for effective protein intake is not as high as most people believe.
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The cycle period, during the first two weeks, included a warm-up period followed by five high-intensity one-minute sprints. From week three, training intensity was increased to a target heart rate range of 85–95% of maximum heart rate—to be achieved during the intervals.
Throughout each session, volunteers wore a heart rate chest strap to measure any heart rate improvement over the study period.
The high-intensity aerobic session was followed by five machine-based resistance training exercises. The goal of the researchers was to target all the major muscle groups, including chest, upper back, abdominal, lower back, and leg muscles.
The routine included chest press, lat pulldown machine, lower back machine, abdominal crunch and leg press. Three sets of each of the five exercises were performed, with gains being monitored at each session throughout the study period.
As a double-blinded study, half the participants received the whey-based protein powder while half received a placebo. The protein/placebo was taken immediately after each concurrent training session.
Results
The researchers reported that maximal oxygen consumption and overall fitness scores significantly increased in both the protein and placebo groups. These results point to the obvious benefit of exercise over a period of time.
In addition, muscular strength also improved in both the supplementation and placebo groups; however, the protein group saw significantly greater gains in leg muscle strength.
It should be noted that this study only covered an eight week period. So, while the leg muscle was the significant beneficiary of protein supplementation in the current study, it is possible that other muscle groups will benefit more significantly over a longer period of time. This has been the case in previous studies.
Comments on concurrent training
Both aerobic and resistance training are needed for optimal health, but there is some debate on how to approach these major exercise categories.
The German researchers noted that studies show concurrent training can cause physiological stress by interfering with muscle strength and hypertrophy gains due to “competing adaptations.” In short, muscle strength gains appear more robust when an individual concentrates on resistance-only training.
Enhanced nutrition and supplementing regimens are often used to offset the negative effects of training, including the competing adaptations issue. Protein is the most popular choice for supplementing—and for good reason since there is significant research proving its ability to aid muscle repair and growth.
Unfortunately, the bulk of this research is limited to pro-athletes and physically active individuals who could be considered amateur athletes.
This is why the current study is so important. It shows a whey-protein supplement is also beneficial for anyone beginning an exercise program—including the non-athlete.
“Individuals combining low-volume endurance and resistance training in the same session may benefit from targeted protein supplementation, particularly to maximize leg muscle strength improvements,” the researchers wrote in the study’s conclusion.
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Protein-providing products from Optimal Health Systems include:
• Optimal Complete Nutrition Plus
• Optimal LeanClean Protein
• Optimal Complete Performance-Vanilla
• Optimal Complete Performance-Chocolate
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Sources: Nutrients, The Journals of Gerontology.
