More Protein Doesn't Mean More Strength In Resistance-Trained Middle-Aged Male Adults

[Julieanne]

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau
March 25 2021

A 10-week muscle-building and dietary program involving 50 middle-aged adults found no evidence that eating a high-protein diet increased strength or muscle mass more than consuming a moderate amount of protein while training. The intervention involved a standard strength-training protocol with sessions three times per week. None of the participants had previous weightlifting experience.

Published in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism, the study is one of the most comprehensive investigations of the health effects of diet and resistance training in middle-aged adults, the researchers say. Participants were 40-64 years of age.

Read more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...0325101256.htm

[Maurya]

"None of the participants had previous weightlifting experience." This quote illustrates the limitation of this study, as well as most other studies in this matter. A beginner in weight training will gain in strength with proper training, regardless of what they eat, as long as sufficient calories are maintained. Once the individual has progressed past the intermediate stage of their training, however, the gains will stagnate unless a higher protein intake is maintained, along with the absence of high sugars and junk food. Most studies do use untrained individuals as the subjects, leading to the same inaccurate conclusions.

[Julieanne]

Thanks for the information Maurya, I didn't know that.