Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. After 12 weeks, protein supplementation increased fat-free mass an additional 1.5 lbs, increased slow and twitch muscle fibers, and increased strength by an additional 30 pounds.
A 2012 market research report estimates that the nutritional supplement market will hit $15.5 billion by the year 2017 (1). Within this entire nutrition supplement market lies protein supplements which, although making up only part of total sales, adds an estimated $60 billion to the economy in the form of employment, technology, and infrastructure (2).
So within this $60 billion economic stimulus lies the question of efficacy. Do protein supplements really work? Do they really benefit someone putting them into their diet/exercise program? A new review of the research (3) suggests there is indeed a benefit.
In the review, researchers examined 22 different studies of 680 patients between the ages of 19 and 72 taking protein supplements during a weight training programs between 1995 and 2010. Before the weight training program began, the patients were already consuming what is considered sufficient amounts of protein (1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight) but were given an average of an extra 42 grams of protein per day, taken either before, during, or immediately after their weight training program, with the supplement consisting of a combination of whey, casein, and/or milk proteins.
The researchers found 3 significant benefits of protein supplementation during weight training of approximately 12 weeks:
- Fat-Free Mass: Across all age groups, protein supplementation increased fat-free mass an additional 1.5 pounds after at least 6 weeks of training compared to the placebo group. This increase was even more substantial in younger (< 50 years old) patients, producing an additional 1.8-pound increase in fat-free mass compared to the placebo group.
- Muscle Fiber Size: Protein supplementation increased both types of muscle fibers in the body, with an additional 241 micrometer2 increase in type 1 muscle fibers (abundant in marathon runners) and an additional 291 micromter2 increase in type 2 muscle fiber area (abundant in sprinters) compared to the placebo groups (p < 0.0001).
- Strength: The researchers noted an additional 30-pound increase in the protein group for a strength test called the 1-Rep Max (1-RM) (p < 0.001) compared to the placebo groups.
For the researchers, “it seems evident that protein supplementation represents an effective and robust strategy to improve the benefits of resistance-type exercise training to support healthy aging.”
Source: Cermak, Naomi M., et al. “Protein supplementation augments the adaptive response of skeletal muscle to resistance-type exercise training: a meta-analysis.” The American journal of clinical nutrition 96.6 (2012): 1454-1464.
© 2012 American Society for Nutrition
Posted January 29, 2013.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- Nutritional Supplements in the U.S., 5th Edition” published by Packaged Facts Sept 17, 2012
- “Dietary Supplement Industry Contributes More than $60 Billion to National Economy” posted on the National Products Foundation Website – April 5, 2010
- Cermak NM. Protein supplementation augments the adaptive response of skeletal muscle to resistance-type exercise training: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Dec;96(6):1454-64. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.037556. Epub 2012 Nov 7.
