Protein - Research

Whey Protein

A study examining the effect of protein and resistance training on muscle growth found that “dairy protein, and whey in particular may: 1) stimulate the greatest rise in muscle protein synthesis, 2) result in greater muscle cross-sectional area when combined with chronic resistance training, and 3) at least in younger individuals, enhance exercise recovery.” [1]

Results from a 2008 study in the Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition indicated that “subjects that consume a whey protein supplement before and after a resistance training session have a significantly greater improvement in exercise recovery 24- and 48-hours post-exercise than subject ingesting a placebo.” [2]

A double-blinded randomized controlled trial on young men (age 21-23) found that “the ingestion of a modest dose of whey protein, taken immediately after resistance exercise, is able to enhance the earlier activation of translational kinases in young males compared with exercise alone.” [3]

Collagen Protein

In 2008, a 24-week study at Penn State University on 147 student athletes showed significant results for “the use of collagen hydrolysate to support joint health and possibly reduce the risk of joint deterioration” [4]

A recent clinical study confirmed the pain-reducing and anti-inflammatory properties of hydrolyzed collagen. Specifically, it “demonstrated that collagen peptides are potential therapeutic agents as nutritional supplements for the management of osteoarthritis and maintenance of joint health” [5]

Results from a randomized controlled trial on 250 subjects showed that “there was a significant improvement in knee joint comfort” when hydrolyzed collagen was ingested daily. [6]

Colostrum

A 2012 study published in the Journal of Medicine and Sport Science showed that  “bovine colostrum is beneficial for certain groups of athletes, such as those involved in strenuous training (e.g. endurance athletes), in terms of immunity and resistance to infection.” [7]

An 8-week study on 51 men examined the effects of bovine colostrum on exercise performance.  Researchers concluded that “bovine colostrum supplementation during training significantly increased peak anaerobic power” [8]

When investigating how to optimize the performance of highly trained cyclists, it was found that “low dose bovine colostrum supplementation elicited improvements in 40 km time trial performance during an high intensity training period” [9]