Which protein supplements are best for muscle and strength gains? 💪
Whey, casein, soy, collagen?
Which Protein-Based Dietary Supplements Most Effectively Enhance Fat-Free Mass and Strength Gains in Healthy Adults Undergoing Resistance Training? A Network Meta-Analysis
Study Details
This new meta-analysis compiled data from 78 studies (4755 participants) to establish the effects of different protein supplements on…
🏋️♂️ Muscle strength
💪 Fat-free mass (FFM)
Participants were healthy adults undergoing resistance training 🙋♂️
Here is what they found ⬇️
Key Findings
For strength outcomes, compared to placebo the most effective supplements were…
🥇 Collagen (SMD = 0.41)
🥈 Whey protein (SMD = 0.15)
Other supplements including; beef protein, soy, casein and colostrum showed to sufficient difference vs placebo ❌
For FFM outcomes, compared to placebo the most effective supplements were…
🥇 Collagen (SMD = 0.94)
🥈 Whey protein (SMD = 0.16)
Other supplements showed no significant differences vs placebo ❌
Conclusion
Collagen and whey protein appear to be (by a large margin) the best protein supplements for strength and FFM outcomes ✅
One potential reason behind collagen seeming so effective is that most research on collagen compares effects vs placebos 🔬
Whereas whey is often compared to other protein sources 🥩🥛🌱
Making collagen seem far more effective in studies 📈🔍
In my opinion, a quality whey protein would be a great choice to support resistance-training outcomes 👍
Reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41635649/
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