In young men who regularly lift weights, drinking a whey protein shake after exercise does not change how hungry or full they feel, or how much food they plan to eat, compared to drinking a...
Mechanism
Synthesis from 1 study
Whey protein is thick and creamy, so people eat it slowly. Eating slowly means they consume less food before their body feels full, even though they don’t feel any different in hunger or fullness. The reduction in eating happens because of how fast they chew and swallow, not because their brain...
Most probable mechanism
The thick, creamy texture of whey protein slows down how fast a person eats, so they consume less food before their body registers fullness, even though they don't feel any different in hunger or fullness.
Whey protein isolate forms a viscous, creamy solution in liquid form due to its molecular structure and formulation
Increased oral viscosity prolongs orosensory exposure during consumption, enhancing sensory expectations of satiety and delaying swallowing
Slower eating rate reduces the rate of nutrient delivery to the gastrointestinal tract and extends meal duration
Reduced nutrient delivery rate and prolonged meal duration lead to lower total energy intake before satiety signals from the gut reach the brain
Subjective ratings of hunger, fullness, desire to eat, and prospective food consumption remain unchanged because the brain does not receive altered signals from appetite-regulating hormones or neural pathways during this process
Less supported by current evidence, but not ruled out
Amino acids from whey protein trigger the gut to release hormones that signal fullness to the brain, reducing food intake without changing how hungry or full a person feels.
Whey protein is digested into amino acids in the small intestine
Amino acids activate enteroendocrine cells to secrete cholecystokinin and glucagon-like peptide-1
Cholecystokinin and glucagon-like peptide-1 bind to receptors on vagal afferent nerves
Vagal afferents transmit signals to the brainstem, which suppresses feeding behavior through descending inhibitory pathways
Subjective appetite ratings remain unchanged because the brain's conscious perception of hunger and fullness is not directly modulated by these hormonal signals
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (0)
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Contradicting (1)
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Whey protein consumption after resistance exercise reduces energy intake at a post-exercise meal
Gold Standard Evidence Needed
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