Research

Mixed

Whey protein supplementation combined with resistance exercise training increases skeletal muscle mass and handgrip strength in older adults with sarcopenia compared to resistance exercise alone, although the effect sizes are small and may not exceed the minimally important clinical difference.

If you are an older adult with sarcopenia, adding whey protein to your resistance training routine can help you gain a small amount of muscle and grip strength. However, do not expect dramatic changes; the benefits are modest and may not translate to major functional improvements. Consistency with both exercise and protein intake is key.

LimitedQualifiesLOW confidence
WP supplementation during RET is more effective in increasing handgrip strength and skeletal muscle mass in older people with Sarcopenia compared with RET with or without placebo supplementation. However, the effect sizes were small, and the MD did not exceed the minimally important clinical difference.
Iván Cuyúl-Vásquez et al. · Nutrients · 2023

Why this rating

GRADE assessment rated evidence as low to very low due to risk of bias and heterogeneity.

Source

Effectiveness of Whey Protein Supplementation during Resistance Exercise Training on Skeletal Muscle Mass and Strength in Older People with Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Iván Cuyúl-Vásquez et al. · Nutrients · 2023

DOI 10.3390/nu15153424

Meta-analysis · 7 studiesCited 49×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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