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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2020 Aug 9;12(8):2382.
doi: 10.3390/nu12082382.

Effects of Whey and Pea Protein Supplementation on Post-Eccentric Exercise Muscle Damage: A Randomized Trial

David C Nieman  1 , Kevin A Zwetsloot  2 , Andrew J Simonson  1 , Andrew T Hoyle  1 , Xintang Wang  3 , Heather K Nelson  4 , Catherine Lefranc-Millot  5 , Laetitia Guérin-Deremaux  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of Whey and Pea Protein Supplementation on Post-Eccentric Exercise Muscle Damage: A Randomized Trial

David C Nieman et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

This randomized trial compared pea protein, whey protein, and water-only supplementation on muscle damage, inflammation, delayed onset of muscle soreness (DOMS), and physical fitness test performance during a 5-day period after a 90-min eccentric exercise bout in non-athletic non-obese males (n = 92, ages 18-55 years). The two protein sources (0.9 g protein/kg divided into three doses/day) were administered under double blind procedures. The eccentric exercise protocol induced significant muscle damage and soreness, and reduced bench press and 30-s Wingate performance. Whey protein supplementation significantly attenuated post-exercise blood levels for biomarkers of muscle damage compared to water-only, with large effect sizes for creatine kinase and myoglobin during the fourth and fifth days of recovery (Cohen's d > 0.80); pea protein versus water supplementation had an intermediate non-significant effect (Cohen's d < 0.50); and no significant differences between whey and pea protein were found. Whey and pea protein compared to water supplementation had no significant effects on post-exercise DOMS and the fitness tests. In conclusion, high intake of whey protein for 5 days after intensive eccentric exercise mitigated the efflux of muscle damage biomarkers, with the intake of pea protein having an intermediate effect.

Keywords: creatine kinase; exercise; inflammation; muscle damage; myoglobin; protein.

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Conflict of interest statement

D.C.N., K.A.Z., A.J.S., A.T.H., and X.W. declare no conflict of interest. Scientists from the funding company (H.K.N., C.L.-M., L.G.-D.) had a role in the design of the study and in writing the manuscript, but not in the collection and analysis of the data. The funding agency signed an agreement with the university in support of academic freedom to publish the data.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Participant flow diagram.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Change in serum creatine kinase. * p < 0.01 when comparing change from pre-exercise levels with the whey protein and water-only groups. Cohen’s d = 0.83 and 0.82 on Thursday and Friday mornings, respectively, when comparing whey protein and water groups.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Change in serum myoglobin. * p < 0.01 when comparing change from pre-exercise levels with the whey protein and water-only groups. Cohen’s d = 0.93, 0.86, and 0.89 on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings, respectively, when comparing whey protein and water groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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