We’ve all heard about the importance of protein for muscle recovery and growth. Many athletes will ingest specific protein shakes around their workouts to repair and buildup their muscles. However, what about whole-food protein sources? Does the type of food and its matrix influence how our muscles respond to protein intake? Let’s have a look at a very popular and commonly eaten protein product: Cheese.
In a recent study [1], we investigated the impact of cheese ingestion for muscle growth. We compared the muscle protein synthesis response after ingesting 30 g of protein from either cheese or milk protein concentrate.
The study
In this study we asked 20 healthy males (18-35 y of age) to participate in a single-legged resistance-type exercise session (leg press and leg extension). After performing their workout, they consumed either 30 g of protein from cheese or 30 g of protein from milk protein. Subsequently, we measured muscle protein synthesis rates at rest and during the post-workout recovery period.
The main findings
We found some interesting results:
The concentrations of amino acids (the building blocks of protein) in the blood increased after protein ingestion, both for cheese and milk protein. However, peak concentrations were 38% higher after consuming milk protein compared to the cheese.
We also observed an increase in muscle protein synthesis rates following both the cheese and milk protein ingestion. What was interesting is that, despite the difference in plasma amino acid concentrations, there were no differences in muscle protein synthesis between the groups. So, cheese can be considered as effective as milk protein to stimulate the muscle growth response!
What does this mean?
If you’re looking to optimize muscle recovery and growth, both cheese and milk protein are excellent choices. Whether you enjoy a slice of cheese post-workout or sipping on a milk protein shake, in both scenarios you give your muscle what it wants. So, no worry that you miss out on gains if you prefer to eat the cheese!
Conclusion
Protein-rich whole-food products, such as cheese, are a great source of protein to ingest following your work-out. So, if you are a cheese lover, you can safely consume cheese after your workouts and you don’t necessarily have to stick to your protein shake.
Reference:
- Hermans WJH, Fuchs CJ, Hendriks FK, Houben LHP, Senden JM, Verdijk LB, van Loon LJC: Cheese Ingestion Increases Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates Both at Rest and During Recovery from Exercise in Healthy, Young Males: A Randomized Parallel-Group Trial. J Nutr 2022, 152:1022-1030.
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