Whey Protein Hydrolysate vs Regular Whey: Muscle Growth Showdown
Effects of whey protein hydrolysate ingestion on post-exercise muscle protein synthesis compared with intact whey protein in rats
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher plasma leucine in intact whey didn't boost muscle growth more than WPH at high doses
Leucine is widely considered the primary trigger for muscle protein synthesis, but here higher leucine levels didn't correlate with better results
Practical Takeaways
Use WPH for small post-workout shakes (10-15g protein) but switch to regular whey for larger servings (20g+)
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Higher plasma leucine in intact whey didn't boost muscle growth more than WPH at high doses
Leucine is widely considered the primary trigger for muscle protein synthesis, but here higher leucine levels didn't correlate with better results
Practical Takeaways
Use WPH for small post-workout shakes (10-15g protein) but switch to regular whey for larger servings (20g+)
Publication
Journal
Nutrition & Metabolism
Year
2019
Authors
Kyosuke Nakayama, Ryoichi Tagawa, Yuri Saito, C. Sanbongi
Related Content
Claims (8)
Whey protein maximizes muscle protein synthesis, steak provides higher nutrient density, and collagen specifically supports connective tissue repair and recovery.
When rats exercised and then ate a small amount of whey protein hydrolysate, their muscles built protein faster than when they ate regular whey protein at the same dose.
A small dose of whey protein hydrolysate made a key muscle-building signal stronger in rats than regular whey protein or no protein.
For rats, the best time for muscle protein building after eating regular whey protein is about an hour later.
When rats ate a larger dose of regular whey protein, their blood had more leucine than when they ate the same amount of hydrolyzed whey protein an hour later.