A new study indicates that a multi-ingredient whey protein supplement is more effective than collagen for supporting muscle growth and satellite cell activation from resistance training.
Overview
- What did they test? Twenty-six participants underwent a 10-week resistance exercise training (RT) program while consuming either a multi-ingredient supplement (MIS) or collagen supplement (COL) twice daily. Muscle biopsies were collected from the vastus lateralis muscle at baseline and 48 hours after a bout of damaging exercise, before and after the 10-week RT program. Muscle samples were analyzed for satellite cell (SC) and myonuclear content, acute SC activation, and fiber cross-sectional area (fCSA).
- What did they find? The MIS group tended to display larger increases in type 2 muscle fCSA and enhanced satellite cell activation after training compared to COL.
- What does it mean for you? This study suggests that the unique blend of whey protein, creatine, leucine, calcium citrate, and vitamin D in MIS was more effective at promoting muscle hypertrophy and satellite cell activation than COL. If choosing between the two options to promote muscle growth from resistance training, this study aligns with prior research indicating that collagen is less supportive of this outcome than a similar amount of whey protein or the MIS used in this study.
What’s the problem?
There is a lack of research on the impact of multi-ingredient protein supplementation on the response of satellite cells (SCs) to resistance exercise training (RT). A limited number of studies suggest collagen might provide a small benefit to muscle growth in response to resistance training when compared to a placebo 1 2. However, when compared to a similar amount of whey protein supplementation during RT, collagen has been shown to result in lower acute and longer-term rates of muscle protein synthesis along with lower increases in muscle thickness 3 4. Considering the limited body of literature on this topic, the research team involved with this new study aimed to compare a multi-ingredient supplement (MIS) containing whey protein, creatine, leucine, calcium citrate, and vitamin D to a collagen-based supplement (COL) in their ability to influence SC activity and muscle fiber growth. SCs play a crucial role in muscle adaptation to RT, and previous studies have shown the potential benefits of individual supplement ingredients on SC function and muscle hypertrophy. However, it is unknown whether a combination of these ingredients in the form of MIS would have a synergistic effect on SCs and muscle growth. This study aimed to fill this gap in knowledge.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a multi-ingredient supplement on muscle fCSA and satellite cell activity compared to a collagen control in healthy young males and females, in conjunction with a 10-week RT program.
Hypothesis
The researchers hypothesized that MIS would not mitigate the response to acute damaging exercise after 48 h, but it would elicit greater increases in satellite cell expansion, activation, myonuclear accretion, and myonuclear domain following training as compared with COL supplementation.
