How Different Proteins Feed Your Muscles
Protein Type, Protein Dose, and Age Modulate Dietary Protein Digestion and Phenylalanine Absorption Kinetics and Plasma Phenylalanine Availability in Humans
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study tracks how much of the protein you eat actually gets into your blood to help build muscle, depending on the type of protein, how much you eat, and your age.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 588 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
This study tracks how much of the protein you eat actually gets into your blood to help build muscle, depending on the type of protein, how much you eat, and your age.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 588 / 90
Evidence Score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. Considered the gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Publication
Authors
Gorissen SHM, Trommelen J, Kouw IWK, Holwerda AM, Pennings B, Groen BBL, Wall BT, Churchward-Venne TA, Horstman AMH, Koopman R, Burd NA, Fuchs CJ, Dirks ML, Res PT, Senden JMG, Steijns JMJM, de Groot LCPGM, Verdijk LB, van Loon LJC
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Claims (6)
As men get older, their bodies don't absorb protein from food as well after eating — specifically, older guys get less use out of the amino acids from a protein meal compared to younger guys.
When healthy guys drink milk protein, about half of the protein gets into their bloodstream within 5 hours — that's what muscles can use. The rest is either still being digested or gets used by organs like the liver before it ever reaches the rest of the body.
For healthy guys, drinking regular milk protein gives your body more usable protein building blocks over 5 hours than taking just whey or just casein alone.
When healthy guys drink more whey protein, their bodies absorb more of an important amino acid called phenylalanine—about 10% more when they take a higher dose.
If healthy guys drink more casein protein, more amino acids show up in their blood overall—even though a smaller percentage gets absorbed—probably because their bodies haven’t finished digesting it within 5 hours.