Milk Protein and Muscle Soreness: No Significant Reduction Found
A user inquired whether milk protein helps reduce muscle soreness after resistance training. The assistant cited a 2023 randomized controlled trial showing that milk protein did not significantly attenuate muscle soreness in untrained individuals. The effect was neutral and not statistically significant. The assistant also suggested alternative supplements like tart cherry juice, omega-3 fatty acids, or curcumin for recovery.
Does milk protein help reduce muscle soreness after resistance training?
Based on the available research, milk protein does not appear to significantly reduce muscle soreness after resistance training.
According to Pillser's research database, there is one randomized controlled trial (2023) that specifically investigated this question1. The study involved untrained males and females who were given 17 doses of milk protein over 4 days after muscle-damaging resistance exercise. The findings showed that milk protein ingestion did not attenuate (reduce) muscle soreness compared to a control group1. The effect was classified as neutral and not statistically significant1.
It's worth noting that this study was conducted in untrained individuals, and the soreness induced was described as "mild." The results may differ in trained athletes or with different dosing protocols.
Summary
Aspect Finding Studies available 1 (RCT, 2023) Beneficial effect Not found Outcome Neutral — milk protein did not reduce muscle soreness If you're looking to reduce muscle soreness, other supplements (such as tart cherry juice, omega-3 fatty acids, or curcumin) have more evidence supporting recovery benefits. Would you like me to look into any of those?
Footnotes
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Pillser research database, Milk Protein and Reduced Muscle Soreness. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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