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Evidence-Based Supplement Research
Evidence-Based Supplement Research
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Whey Protein and Increased Muscle Mass

Research synthesisLow evidenceMixed effect size3 studies · 2 beneficial · 1 neutral · 0 harmful

Across 3 studies, 2 reported beneficial effects (one small, one moderate) and 1 reported a neutral effect. The predominant effect direction is beneficial with mixed effect sizes (small to moderate). Evidence is limited to mixed older adult and clinical populations; the only reported dose was 0.7 g/kg/day in a 28-day trial. Effects were observed at 4 weeks in one study.

  • Studied populations: older adults, adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, adults with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease

Caveats: Evidence base is small (only 3 studies) — conclusions should be considered preliminary. A large systematic review (N=5272) found no significant effect, while two smaller systematic reviews and an RCT showed benefit, suggesting the effect may be inconsistent or context-dependent. The neutral study had high methodological quality, reducing confidence in the beneficial findings. Most studies focused on clinical populations, so generalizability to healthy adults is uncertain.

Generated Jul 11, 2026
Doses used in studies
  • g/kg/day: 0.7 (median 0.7, IQR 0.7–0.7) — 1 study
Time to effect
Median: 4 weeks · IQR 4 weeks–4 weeks · Range 4 weeks–4 weeks — Reported in 1 of 3 studies
3 of 3 papers
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