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Research Update: Whey Protein Supplementation Linked to Enhanced Muscle Mass and Function in 4-Week Clinical Study
An overwhelming amount of scientific research evidence suggests that increasing dietary whey protein intake, when combined with a regimen of regular resistance exercise, will facilitate positive physiological outcomes including enhanced muscle mass and strength. The additional protein in the form of high biological value (BV) whey protein improves body composition and function even when traditional whole food sources of protein (beef, eggs, chicken, etc) are already present in the diet.Yeah, yeah, we know: Spoiler alert. But you may be surprised at just how effectively whey protein intake can increase mass and performance, and how quickly you can expect to see results. One recent study, conducted in South Korea and published in the scientific journal Nutrients in February of 2023, explored the relationship between whey protein supplementation and augmentation of muscle mass and function. It also had some pretty interesting test controls in place. Its time frame? Just four weeks.A Whey Protein Study With Unique ControlsIn the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (Chae-Been Kim 1), researchers were seeking to investigate the effect of whey protein supplementation under dietary control on improvements in muscle mass and function following resistance exercise training. Thirty-two healthy men in their 20s and 30s were randomly assigned to either a whey protein supplementation group taking whey protein isolate or a placebo group. (The whey protein supplement and placebo were formulated in chocolate-flavored powder form, with one pack of whey protein powder supplement containing 20 g of whey protein isolate, 8 g of carbohydrate, and 6.4 g of dietary fiber, while one pack of placebo contained 25 g of carbohydrate instead of protein.)Both groups underwent resistance exercise training for 4 weeks. All participants performed resistance exercise at 60%–70% of 1-repetition maximum (RM) for 60 minutes per day, 6 days per week. For dietary control, each participant was given 3 meals per day corresponding to the estimated daily energy intake calculated by the individual amount of exercise and resting metabolic rate for the entire period of the study. Body composition and isokinetic muscular function were measured before and after the intervention.The structure of this study is important because few studies have investigated the effects of whey protein supplementation under dietary control. In typical studies, the subjects' diet is determined via a diet log or questionnaire, without strict supervision, and the longer the study period, the more inaccurate the study participants' records can become. Here, that variable has been removed by controlling the participants' diet. All participants were provided 3 pre-packed meals per day, each containing a ratio of 10% protein, 30% fat, and 60% carbohydrates based on the individual’s calculated daily caloric intake. Compelling Results in Just 4 WeeksOnce the intervention period was concluded, the subjects' body composition was measured via bioelectrical impedance analyzer and muscular strength and endurance were measured using an isokinetic dynamometer. The results they found should be of great interest to anyone seeking to enhance physique and performance. "After four weeks of resistance exercise, the change in muscle mass was significantly different between the two groups," the researchers stated. "The whey protein group showed significantly increased muscle mass, whereas the placebo control group did not. Although the increase in muscle mass was relatively small, considering that body weight was also significantly decreased, this increase in muscle mass could be meaningful. These results suggest that whey protein supplementation has an additional effect on resistance exercise-induced increases in muscle mass."The researchers also reached similarly encouraging conclusions about whey protein's effect on muscular function. "After 4 weeks of resistance exercise ... the whey protein group showed significantly increased strength of both the dominant and non-dominant knees and shoulders, whereas the placebo control group did not," they stated. "Similar to the results for muscular strength, there were also significant differences between the two groups in selective muscular endurance of the knee and shoulder. The whey protein group showed significantly increased endurance of the dominant knee and shoulder, whereas the endurance of the placebo control group did not change."The researchers concluded, "The results of this study indicate that whey protein supplementation promotes muscle mass increase and selective increases in muscular strength and endurance from resistance exercise. This suggests that whey protein supplementation is practically effective independently of the normal diet."These developments come as welcome validation to those in the sports nutrition community who have long championed superior-quality whey protein formulations as valuable complements to a healthy and balanced dietary regimen. More (and better) protein is your pathway to enhanced physique and performance. Advanced Protein Science for Enhanced ResultsHere is where we emphasize the importance of "better protein." The protein marketplace has been in a state of upheaval for at least ten years now, as raw material demand has escalated dramatically and manufacturing capacity has remained static or even declined. Post-COVID supply chain issues have only made the situation worse.Not surprisingly, many less-than-scrupulous manufacturers have taken to cutting corners on everything from ingredient quality to the actual amount of real protein found in each container. Cheap whey concentrates, inert fillers, and deceptive protein-spiking methods are once again in the ascendant. Some of these lesser proteins, nutritionally speaking, are little better than the placebo controls in the study cited above when it comes to building new muscle mass or enhancing training.In trying times like this, a savvy consumer is well advised to stick with manufacturers who have a long history of setting very high standards for ingredient quality and manufacturing protocols -- and sticking to them.ProSource's own NytroWhey Ultra Elite has been helping serious athletes achieve their training and physique goals for almost two decades now. Our flagship protein formula is famous for its unsurpassed matrix of protein technologies designed to exponentially increase protein synthesis, support recovery, and drive significant growth.The ultra-premium-grade, cold-processed CFM whey protein isolate in NytroWhey Ultra Elite is loaded with critical growth catalysts primed for rapid-action muscle support. For even faster uptake, advanced whey protein hydrolysates yield extremely low-molecular-weight peptides for super-swift absorption into muscle tissue. NytroWhey Ultra Elite also contains a state-of-the-art leucine peptide technology designed to transport leucine to muscle tissue more efficiently, increasing muscle power and work output.Because ProSource is committed to improving even its best products on an ongoing basis, NytroWhey Ultra Elite has been subtly modified to make it even more ideal for fitness-conscious people intent on eating clean and eating well. Several adjustments to NytroWhey Ultra Elite's nutritional profile have made it simpler, more natural, more digestible and more bioavailable. The last traces of gluten and soy have been removed, fiber content has been reduced and healthy fats sourced from sunflower oil have been added. NytroWhey Ultra Elite has been the industry leader in purity, potency and power since the day it first appeared; now its superiority is beyond question.As the latest scientific research continues to highlight the importance of whey protein supplementation for hard-training athletes, ProSource's NytroWhey Ultra Elite continues to be their #1 option for real physique and performance results.Scientific Reference1 Chae-Been Kim, Jong-Hoon Park, Hyoung-Su Park, Hye-Jin Kim and Jung-Jun Park. Effects of Whey Protein Supplement on 4-Week Resistance Exercise-Induced Improvements in Muscle Mass and Isokinetic Muscular Function under Dietary Control. Nutrients 2023, 15(4), 1003. Published: 16 February 2023.Use products as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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Research Science Update -- L-Carnitine L-Tartrate Supplementation Improves Recovery and Endurance in Men and Women
If you think of a muscle cell as a furnace generating energy to facilitate work output, then L-carnitine is the tireless worker shoveling coal into that furnace to start the whole process. Without L-carnitine, long-chain fatty acids would never reach the mitochondria of muscle cells, they would never be oxidized to generate energy, and the ATP cycle (the engine of all work output) would ground to a halt. This would (and does) result in muscle fatigue and eventual failure.L-carnitine offers other profound benefits as well. It has been associated with more efficient muscle recovery after exercise by virtue of its role in enhancing blood flow and oxygen supply to muscle tissue via improved endothelial function, thereby reducing hypoxia-induced muscle soreness and breakdown. Research also suggests that L-carnitine may help facilitate increased uptake of testosterone by promoting the expression of androgen (testosterone) receptors in skeletal muscle tissue (1 Kraemer).You would think, given L-carnitine's key primary role in muscle function and the fact that your body exhausts its stores of L-carnitine fairly quickly during high-intensity exercise, that L-carnitine would be a common supplement staple much like creatine monohydrate. L-carnitine, however, tends to fly under the radar. One reason for this is that supplemented pure L-carnitine by itself is assimilated very slowly and inefficiently by the body. This barrier to L-carnitine supplementation, however, was overcome several years ago, when extensive research and development resulted in the formulation of L-carnitine L-tartrate. A salt of tartaric acid, L-tartrate facilitates and greatly shortens the interval of uptake of L-carnitine into muscle tissue, while also acting as an antioxidant in the body. The blend of L-carnitine and L-tartrate produces a highly stable and bioavailable form of L-carnitine.Researchers in the Product Research Team at ProSource were at the forefront of this area of investigation. Their work led to the formulation of a legendary L-Carnitine L-Tartrate (LCLT) supplement introduced under the Cytodyne Technologies brand called Cytodyne AAC. Cytodyne AAC was the secret ingredient in many an athlete's supplementation regimen, and a refined evolution of that technology continues to help serious athletes turn higher volumes of training into greater muscle mass to this day, as we shall see.In the meantime, studies of the benefits of LCLT supplementation are always ongoing. One such study, published recently in the journal Nutrients, offers very encouraging news for both men and women seeking to enhance physique and performance.Clinical Study Links LCLT Supplementation to Increased Endurance and Faster RecoveryIn this study, a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, eighty participants, men and women 21- to 65-years-old, were split into two groups of forty participants each, a placebo group and a L-Carnitine L-Tartrate group. Participants underwent pre-study baseline testing which included serum analysis of muscle damage and oxidative stress markers, maximal isometric strength, maximal muscle power and body composition analysis. Subjects then engaged in a moderate 5-week exercise training program twice per week with the final training session on the fifth week of supplementation consisting of a supervised lower-body exercise challenge specifically constructed to induce muscle damage. Subjects continued to supplement for two days after completing the exercise challenge and then underwent baseline testing again.Researchers found that, compared to placebo, L-carnitine L-tartrate supplementation was able to improve perceived recovery and soreness and lowered serum creatine kinase (a marker of muscle degeneration). In addition, L-carnitine L-tartrate supplementation was able to blunt declines in strength and power compared to placebo following an exercise challenge. Two sub-analyses indicated that these results were independent of gender and age.The researchers concluded that "these findings agree with previous observations among healthy adult subjects and demonstrate that L-carnitine L-tartrate supplementation beyond 35 days is beneficial for improving recovery and reducing fatigue following exercise across gender and age." Of course none of this comes as a surprise to members of the ProSource Product Research Team. It is nice though to see ongoing research continue to validate the foundations upon which first Cytodyne AAC and then our current LCLT-based growth complex, Aminodrol, evolved. Aminodrol: A Powerful Nutritional Tool For Recovery and GrowthProSource's Aminodrol contains a specialized form of L-carnitine L-tartrate extremely efficient in replenishing the body's stores of L-carnitine and thereby enhancing the production of energy in the form of ATP. ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) is literally the currency of all cellular activity, facilitating DNA and RNA synthesis and triggering muscular contraction during explosive, high-intensity physical activity.L-carnitine L-tartrate, as we noted earlier, may also help facilitate increased uptake of testosterone by promoting the expression of testosterone receptors in skeletal muscle tissue, which would also support subsequent muscle mass increase.A comprehensive growth-support complex, Aminodrol has much more to offer highly trained individuals. Beta alanine supports muscle endurance during high-intensity exercise by increasing muscle carnosine levels, which in turn buffer skeletal muscle pH (acidity) during fatiguing exercise. The BCAAs leucine, isoleucine and valine (much like LCLT) are key factors for muscle recovery after exercise. Leucine in particular is a primary activator of the mTOR anabolic pathway that governs protein synthesis and consequent muscle repair and growth. Additional muscle-building support in Aminodrol comes in the form of L-glutamine, which supports protein synthesis and nitrogen retention, as well as taurine, which helps to optimize cellular hydration and maximize muscle function. Finally, Aminodrol contains phosphatidylserine and inositol. Phosphatidylserine is a specialized fat that resides in nervous tissue and, when taken regularly, may reduce blood cortisol levels which spike after intense training. Inositol may have indirect effects on cortisol levels by improving mood and brain neurochemical balance.A Legendary Growth Support TechnologyAminodrol has been helping serious athletes attain new benchmarks of muscle growth for years now. And, as contemporary science continues to validate its key mechanisms, it will continue to help well-trained individuals achieve real physique and performance improvements for years to come. Scientific References1 Kraemer WJ, Spiering BA, Volek JS, Ratamess NA, Sharman MJ, Rubin MR, French DN, Silvestre R, Hatfield DL, Van Heest JL, Vingren JL, Judelson DA, Deschenes MR, Maresh CM. Androgenic responses to resistance exercise: effects of feeding and L-carnitine. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Jul;38(7):1288-96. 2 Matthew Stefan, Matthew Sharp, Raad Gheith, Ryan Lowery, Charlie Ottinger, Jacob Wilson, Shane Durkee, and Aouatef Bellamine. L-Carnitine Tartrate Supplementation for 5 Weeks Improves Exercise Recovery in Men and Women: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2021 Oct; 13(10): 3432. Use as directed with a sensible nutrition and exercise program. Read and follow all product label instructions and warnings thoroughly before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.The articles featured herein are for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Specific medical advice should only be obtained from a licensed health care professional. No liability is assumed by ProSource for any information herein.
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