Research

Hormonal

Ingestion of 20g whey protein isolate stimulates myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS) significantly more than 20g micellar casein in elderly men, both at rest and after resistance exercise.

For older adults looking to build or maintain muscle, choosing whey protein over casein after exercise or meals may provide a stronger signal for muscle growth. A 20g dose of whey protein isolate was shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis significantly more than the same amount of casein. This is likely due to whey's faster digestion and higher leucine content, which creates a sharper spike in amino acids in the blood.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
We conclude that ingestion of isolated whey protein supports greater rates of MPS than micellar casein both at rest and after resistance exercise in healthy elderly men.
Nicholas A. Burd et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2012

Why this rating

Randomized controlled trial with healthy elderly men, though small sample size (n=14).

Source

Greater stimulation of myofibrillar protein synthesis with ingestion of whey protein isolate <i>v.</i> micellar casein at rest and after resistance exercise in elderly men

Nicholas A. Burd et al. · British Journal Of Nutrition · 2012

DOI 10.1017/s0007114511006271

rct · n=14Cited 273×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →