The Claim

Whey protein hydrolysate and intact whey protein both increase leucine transport into skeletal muscle and intracellular leucine concentration to a similar extent in healthy young men, but whey protein hydrolysate sustains elevated intracellular leucine levels for up to 3 hours post-ingestion.

Source: Whey Protein Hydrolysate Increases Amino Acid Uptake, mTORC1 Signaling, and Protein Synthesis in Skeletal Muscle of Healthy Young Men in a Randomized Crossover Trial.

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
74score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

How it works
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In healthy young men, both whey protein hydrolysate and intact whey protein raise leucine levels in skeletal muscle to the same degree, but the hydrolysate form keeps leucine levels elevated for up to three hours after consumption.

See the scientific wording

Whey protein hydrolysate and intact whey protein both increase leucine transport into skeletal muscle and intracellular leucine concentration to a similar extent in healthy young men, but hydrolysate sustains elevated intracellular leucine levels for up to 3 hours post-ingestion.

Why this might work

When you drink whey protein hydrolysate, it breaks down into tiny pieces that enter your bloodstream faster than whole whey protein. These pieces get pulled into muscle cells more efficiently and keep the leucine levels inside the muscle high for up to three hours. This sustained leucine level keeps the muscle's protein-building machinery active longer than whole whey protein does.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: Whey Protein Hydrolysate Increases Amino Acid Uptake, mTORC1 Signaling, and Protein Synthesis in Skeletal Muscle of Healthy Young Men in a Randomized Crossover Trial.

    Both kinds of whey protein get leucine into muscle cells equally well at first, but the broken-down version (hydrolysate) keeps leucine levels high in muscles for up to three hours, while the regular kind only does for one hour.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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