Protein2026-05

Muscle Recovery and Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis after Damaging Exercise with Recombinant Bovine β-Lactoglobulin, Dairy-Derived Whey or Carbohydrate Supplementation in Young Healthy Adults.

Rogers Lucy M, Korzepa Marie, Belfield Archie E, Quinlan Jonathan I et al. — The Journal of nutrition

Summary

This study investigated whether a new lab-made protein (rBLG) or traditional whey protein could improve muscle recovery after strenuous exercise, compared to carbohydrates. Researchers found that for young adults already consuming a typical amount of protein, adding extra protein supplements did not further enhance muscle repair or protein building. This suggests that additional protein supplements might not offer significant benefits for recovery if dietary protein intake is already adequate.

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Key points

This study examined if extra protein supplements aid muscle recovery after strenuous exercise.
Young adults with typical protein intake received either a new lab-made protein, whey protein, or carbohydrates.
No additional benefits were found from protein supplements for muscle recovery or building new muscle protein.
This suggests that for individuals consuming adequate protein, extra supplements may not further enhance muscle repair.

What the study looked at

What question the study asked: This study aimed to determine if supplementing with a new, lab-engineered protein (recombinant bovine β-lactoglobulin, or rBLG) or traditional dairy-derived whey protein could improve muscle recovery and the rate at which muscles build new protein after intense, damaging exercise, when compared to a carbohydrate placebo. How it was studied (design/participants): Researchers recruited 27 healthy young adults who followed a controlled diet providing approximately 0.9 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. After performing a strenuous leg exercise designed to cause muscle damage, participants were randomly assigned to receive either rBLG, whey protein, or an equal-calorie carbohydrate supplement three times a day for three days. Muscle biopsies and other recovery markers were measured to assess muscle protein synthesis and overall recovery. What it found: The study observed that while muscle protein synthesis naturally increased after the damaging exercise, there were no significant differences in this increase or in other markers of muscle recovery (such as strength or soreness) between the groups. This suggests that for individuals already consuming a moderate amount of protein, adding more protein supplements did not further enhance muscle repair or recovery from intense exercise.

Dietary takeaway

This study suggests that if you're already consuming enough protein through your regular diet (around 0.9g per kilogram of body weight daily, as in this research), adding extra protein supplements like whey might not provide additional benefits for muscle recovery after intense exercise. Prioritize meeting your protein needs through a balanced diet of whole foods rather than solely relying on supplements for enhanced recovery. It's important to remember that this is just one study, and individual nutritional needs can vary.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Supplementation with recombinant bovine β-lactoglobulin (rBLG), a precision-engineered mimetic of dairy-derived whey, supports similar resistance exercise (RE) training-induced muscle remodeling to whey protein (WHEY). However, the influence of rBLG on recovery indices and muscle protein synthesis rates after damaging exercise is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To determine the influence of rBLG supplementation on indices of muscle recovery and integrated myofibrillar protein synthesis (iMyoPS) over 72 h following damaging RE, compared with WHEY and a carbohydrate placebo. METHODS: In a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group design, 27 healthy adults consuming a controlled diet (∼0.9 g/kg body mass/d of protein) were supplemented thrice daily with 0.3 g/kg body mass of rBLG, WHEY, or isocaloric carbohydrate placebo for 3 d following an acute bout of damaging lower-body RE (8 × 10 maximal, unilateral, eccentric knee extensions). Consumption of deuterated water combined with serial vastus lateralis muscle biopsies permitted the measurement of iMyoPS 72 h before (habitual) and after RE. Knee extensor maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), muscle soreness, and plasma concentrations of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were also assessed post-RE to characterize muscle recovery. RESULTS: iMyoPS fractional synthetic rate (%/d) increased following damaging RE (P < 0.001), with no significant differences between groups. Knee extensor MVC decreased, and subjective muscle soreness and plasma LDH concentrations increased following strenuous exercise (P < 0.05 for all) with no significant differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: At habitual dietary protein intakes ∼0.9 g/kg body mass/d, further rBLG or WHEY supplementation did not influence muscle recovery or iMyoPS rates, suggesting that protein supplementation, at the intakes studied, may have limited efficacy as a tool to enhance muscle recovery and remodeling from damaging exercise.

View on PubMed →DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.101321