A recent study by researchers at Maastricht University published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise demonstrated that muscle protein synthesis significantly increases when mixing Whey and Collagen protein.
Muscle protein synthesis is the natural process where the body repairs damaged muscle fibers caused by workouts by making new proteins. Protein further provides the building blocks (amino acids) needed to grow the muscles stronger and bigger.
The study explored how a blend of 30 grams of Whey Protein and 5 grams of Collagen Protein impacts muscle growth and connective tissue growth in young active men both at rest and after resistance exercise.
Whey protein is a high-quality protein derived from milk during cheese production that is rich in amino acids like leucine which fuel muscle growth and repair.
Collagen on the other hand is a structural protein from animal connective tissues. It is rich in glycine and proline and helps support the health of bones, joints, tendons, and skin.
The randomized double-blind trial included 28 healthy men (25y average age) that were divided into two groups. Half of the participants consumed the whey collagen blend while the remaining 14 received a noncaloric placebo after performing resistance exercises like leg presses and extensions.
By using advanced tracer techniques and muscle biopsies, researchers measured protein synthesis rates over five hours post-ingestion, comparing rested and exercised legs.
At rest, the group that consumed the blend of Whey and Collagen protein built muscle 22.6% faster (0.038% vs 0.031% per hour) than the placebo group. The blend group also built connective tissue 21.6% faster.
The results were even more remarkable after exercise with the blend group building muscle 33.% faster than the placebo group.
In short, the study demonstrated that the combination of Whey and Collagen protein supercharges the body’s ability to build contractile muscle fibers and to recover faster.
If you want to improve your performance and grow muscles faster, this is hands-down one of the most effective post-workout stacks. Using whey and collagen in a 5:1 ratio supports both muscle growth and the repair of connective tissues.
