The Claim

In healthy young adults, ingestion of free amino acids leads to greater whole-body net protein balance compared to an equivalent amount of intact milk protein, with measured values of 15.3 ± 4.1 versus 10.6 ± 2.2 μmol Phe·kg⁻¹·h⁻¹ over a 6-hour postprandial period, suggesting greater tissue protein accretion with free amino acids.

Source: Ingestion of Free Amino Acids Compared with an Equivalent Amount of Intact Protein Results in More Rapid Amino Acid Absorption and Greater Postprandial Plasma Amino Acid Availability Without Affecting Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates in Young Adults in a Double-Blind Randomized Trial

What the research says

Challenges is higher

Challenge is ahead, but a single strong supporting study can change this.

Supports
0score
Challenges
80score

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

Quantitative
1 study reviewed
In plain English

If you're a healthy young adult, drinking amino acids might help your body build more muscle in the hours after eating than drinking the same amount of protein from milk.

See the scientific wording

In healthy young adults, ingestion of free amino acids results in greater whole-body net protein balance compared to an equivalent amount of intact milk protein, with values of 15.3 ± 4.1 versus 10.6 ± 2.2 μmol Phe·kg⁻¹·h⁻¹ over 6 hours, indicating greater postprandial tissue protein accretion.

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: Ingestion of Free Amino Acids Compared with an Equivalent Amount of Intact Protein Results in More Rapid Amino Acid Absorption and Greater Postprandial Plasma Amino Acid Availability Without Affecting Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates in Young Adults in a Double-Blind Randomized Trial

    The study looked at whether free amino acids or whole milk protein build more body protein in young adults. It found amino acids get into the blood faster, but didn’t show they build more protein overall in the body.

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

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