Effectiveness of Whey Protein Supplement in Resistance Trained Individuals

Athletes and recreationally resistance-trained individuals often use protein supplements in an attempt to maximize their training gains and performance. Because of the high bioavailability and solubility and its higher proportion of essential amino acids including Leucine, whey protein extract has been proposed as the best optimal form of protein for strength and power athletes. The objective of this review is to examine the current evidence for the efficacy of whey protein containing supplements to optimize strength training adaptation and outcomes for regular resistance training practitioners. A limited numbers of studies have reported positive effects of whey protein containing supplements (including those with carbohydrate and creatine) for optimizing the anabolic responses and adaptations process in resistancetrained individuals. In order to promote a more anabolic environment and maximize muscle protein synthesis along the day, an eating pattern behavior involving frequents meals (every 3 to 5 h) containing 17 to 20 g of high quality protein (200 to 250 mg/ kg) providing 8 to 10 g of EAA (90 to 110 mg/kg) and about 2 g of Leucine (20 to 25 mg/kg) have been recommended. Special attention should be given to the periworkout hours where the ingestion of whey proteins combined with carbohydrates, creatine monohydrate (0.1 g/kg/d) and other proteins sources such as casein before, during and after workout have been shown to improve training adaptations and enhance the recovery process. However, when considering that the training conditions (workout volume, organization, number of exercises) used in the available studies are substantially different than what athletes actually perform. Optimal whey protein supplementation protocols need to specifically be based on the regular resistance training workout organization and would probably need to consider other doses and timing strategies than what is currently recommended. *Corresponding author: Fernando Naclerio, Centre of Sport Science and Human Performance, School of Science, University of Greenwich, Medway Campus, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK, Tel: +44 (0)20 8331 8441; Fax: +44 (0) 20 8331 9805; E-mail: [email protected] Received August 30, 2013; Accepted October 03, 2013; Published October 10, 2013 Citation: Naclerio F, Alkhatib A, Jimenez A (2013) Effectiveness of Whey Protein Supplement in Resistance Trained Individuals. J Sports Med Doping Stud 3: 130. doi:10.4172/2161-0673.1000130 Copyright: © 2013 Naclerio F, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.