Why eating whole eggs after a workout might build more muscle than just egg whites
Greater Stimulation of Postexercise Muscle Protein Synthesis after Consumption of Whole Eggs versus Egg Whites in Healthy Young Men
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Whole eggs released leucine slower than egg whites (peak at 120 min vs 75 min), yet still triggered more muscle growth.
Slower amino acid release is usually thought to be less anabolic — but here, it correlated with better muscle synthesis, suggesting fat or other yolk compounds modulate signaling beyond amino acid timing.
Practical Takeaways
After resistance training, eat 2–3 whole eggs instead of just egg whites to maximize muscle protein synthesis.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Whole eggs released leucine slower than egg whites (peak at 120 min vs 75 min), yet still triggered more muscle growth.
Slower amino acid release is usually thought to be less anabolic — but here, it correlated with better muscle synthesis, suggesting fat or other yolk compounds modulate signaling beyond amino acid timing.
Practical Takeaways
After resistance training, eat 2–3 whole eggs instead of just egg whites to maximize muscle protein synthesis.
Publication
Journal
The FASEB Journal
Year
2017
Authors
S. Vliet, Evan L. Shy, Joseph W. Beals, A. Ulanov, Zhong Li, S. Paluska, D. Moore
Related Content
Claims (2)
Eating eggs may help your muscles grow better by boosting the raw materials your body uses to build muscle and slowing down muscle breakdown.
Eating whole eggs after a workout helps your muscles rebuild faster than eating just the egg whites, even if both have the same amount of protein — the fat and other parts in the whole egg seem to give your muscles an extra boost.