Whey Protein and Improved Muscle Strength

Research synthesisModerate evidenceModerate effect4 studies · 3 beneficial · 1 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 4 studies, 3 reported beneficial effects (2 statistically significant) on muscle strength, with effect sizes ranging from moderate to large. The median study duration was 84 days (12 weeks), suggesting effects typically observed at that duration. Most studies involved clinical populations such as postoperative knee arthroplasty patients and older adults with sarcopenia, frailty, or type 2 diabetes.

Studied populations: older adults (including those with sarcopenia, frailty, or type 2 diabetes) and postoperative knee arthroplasty patients

Caveats: One study in older adults with type 2 diabetes found no additional benefit over control, indicating effect may be population-dependent. The meta-analysis co-supplemented with vitamin D, making it difficult to isolate the effect of whey protein alone. Additionally, one of the four included studies actually evaluated pea protein, not whey, which may inflate the apparent beneficial count. Dose information was sparse and inconsistent across studies.

Generated Jul 12, 2026

Doses used in studies

g/week: 33 (median 33, IQR 33–33) — 1 study

Time to effect

Median: 2.8 months · IQR 2.8 months–2.8 months · Range 2.8 months–2.8 months — Reported in 3 of 4 studies

4 of 4 papersPopulation:

Study of whey protein on muscle mass and functional rehabilitation in postoperative total knee arthroplasty patients.
- 2024-09-03
- RCT · n = 72
- Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation 37(5)
- - Mengshi Li
  - Qiongfang Shi
  - Xinle Che
  - Xingyan Du
  - Dongming Wang
  - Yufeng Song
- PubMed: 38820012
- DOI: 10.3233/bmr-240013
5 Insights on
- Improved Muscle Strength
- High evidence
- Clinical
Compared to the control group, patients in the experimental group showed significant improvement in muscle strength ... (p= 0.001)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
Yes
Dose
daily supplement for 12 weeks
Whey Protein Supplementation in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Undergoing a Resistance Training Program: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.
- 2025-04-01
- RCT
- Journal of aging and physical activity 33(2)
- - Celine de Carvalho Furtado
  - Giovana Jamar
  - Alan Carlos Brisola Barbosa
  - Victor Zuniga Dourado
  - José Reinaldo do Nascimento
  - Glaucia Cristina Antunes Ferraz de Oliveira
  - Edgar Matias Bach Hi
  - Thiago de Arruda Souza
  - Maria José Gonzalez Parada
  - Felipe Granado de Souza
  - Claudia Ridel Juzwiak
  - Império Lombardi
- PubMed: 39214521
- DOI: 10.1123/japa.2023-0370
4 Insights on
- Improved Muscle Strength
- High evidence
- Clinical
Both groups showed improvement in muscle strength, with the WP group failing to exceed that of the control group.
Effect
Neutral
Effect size
Small
Significant
No
Dose
33 g twice a week
Whey Protein Supplementation with or without Vitamin D on Sarcopenia-Related Measures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
- 2023-07
- Meta-Analysis · n = 33
- Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) 14(4)
- - Nasrin Nasimi
  - Zahra Sohrabi
  - Everson A Nunes
  - Erfan Sadeghi
  - Sanaz Jamshidi
  - Zohreh Gholami
  - Marzieh Akbarzadeh
  - Shiva Faghih
  - Masoumeh Akhlaghi
  - Stuart M Phillips
- PubMed: 37196876
- DOI: 10.1016/j.advnut.2023.05.011
6 Insights on
- Improved Muscle Strength
- High evidence
- Clinical
co-supplementation with vitamin D enhanced ... muscle strength (SMD =2.005; 95% CI: 0.975, 3.035; n = 11)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Large
Significant
Yes
Efficacy of Pea Protein Supplementation in Combination with a Resistance Training Program on Muscle Performance in a Sedentary Adult Population: A Randomized, Comparator-Controlled, Parallel Clinical Trial.
- 2024-06-26
- RCT
- Nutrients 16(13)
- - Ruma G Singh
  - Laetitia Guérin-Deremaux
  - Catherine Lefranc-Millot
  - Caroline Perreau
  - David C Crowley
  - Erin D Lewis
  - Malkanthi Evans
  - Marc Moulin
- PubMed: 38999765
- DOI: 10.3390/nu16132017
1 Insight on
- Improved Muscle Strength
- High evidence
- Rigorous Journal
- Adults
The participants supplemented with PPr had a 16.1% improvement in WBMS following 84 days of supplementation (p = 0.01)
Effect
Beneficial
Effect size
Moderate
Significant
No

Whey Protein and Improved Muscle Strength

Study of whey protein on muscle mass and functional rehabilitation in postoperative total knee arthroplasty patients.

Whey Protein Supplementation in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Undergoing a Resistance Training Program: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

Whey Protein Supplementation with or without Vitamin D on Sarcopenia-Related Measures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Efficacy of Pea Protein Supplementation in Combination with a Resistance Training Program on Muscle Performance in a Sedentary Adult Population: A Randomized, Comparator-Controlled, Parallel Clinical Trial.