The Study
Myofibrillar and Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis Rates Do Not Differ in Young Men Following the Ingestion of Carbohydrate with Milk Protein, Whey, or Micellar Casein after Concurrent Resistance- and Endurance-Type Exercise
This study is like a fair science experiment where guys were randomly given different protein drinks after exercise to see how well their muscles started repairing. It shows that milk, whey, and casein work about the same for muscle repair in the hours after exercise, and that having protein with carbs helps more than carbs alone.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
After a workout that includes both lifting and cardio, does drinking milk, whey, or casein protein with carbs help muscles rebuild better than carbs alone? And does one protein work better than the others?
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 573 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1For most active young men, it doesn’t matter which dairy protein they take after a mixed workout—as long as they take some protein with carbs, they’ll get similar muscle recovery benefits.
- 2All three proteins caused similar muscle building over 6 hours.
- 3Adding any protein increased muscle repair by about 16% vs.
- 4carbs alone.
- 5But none helped with energy factory (mitochondria) repair.
- 6Whey caused a faster spike in amino acids, but it didn’t lead to more muscle growth.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The Journal of Nutrition
Year
2019
Authors
T. Churchward-Venne, Philippe J. M. Pinckaers, J. Smeets, Wouter M. Peeters, A. Zorenc, H. Schierbeek, I. Rollo, L. Verdijk, Luc J C van Loon
Related Content
Claims (6)
Whey protein gives you a quick spike in amino acids in your blood, while casein keeps levels up longer — but overall, they give your body about the same amount of fuel, and neither one boosts muscle or energy-cell growth more during sleep.
If young, active guys drink a shake with 20g of milk, whey, or casein protein plus 45g of carbs after a mixed workout, all three proteins help turn on muscle-building signals just as well—even though they’re absorbed differently.
For young guys who work out regularly, drinking a shake with 20g of any kind of milk protein (like whey or casein) plus 45g of carbs after a combo of strength and cardio exercise helps build muscle just the same — it doesn’t matter which protein they pick.
If young guys who work out drink a mix of 20 grams of any milk-based protein and 45 grams of carbs after a workout, their muscles repair themselves about 16% better over the next 6 hours compared to just drinking carbs — and it doesn’t matter which type of dairy protein they use.
If young, active guys work out and then drink a shake with carbs and protein, it doesn’t help their muscles repair energy factories any better than just drinking carbs alone—within the first 6 hours after exercise.
For young guys who work out regularly, drinking milk, whey, or casein after a mixed workout doesn’t make a difference in how their muscles rebuild energy parts in the first 6 hours — as long as they also get 45 grams of carbs.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.