Key findings from detailed records
Population: 49 trials involving 1,863 participants Findings: Supplementation combined with resistance training produced additional gains in strength and fat-free mass, among other measures.
KNOWLEDGE RECORD
- Category
- Strength and exercise
- Last Reviewed
Names and related search termsProtein and whey / Protein / Whey / Protein / Protein / Whey protein
Study type: meta-analysis.
OUTCOME-SPECIFIC EVIDENCE
Scientific Evidence Profile
Assessment pending
An outcome-specific assessment has not yet been completed. This is not a finding that the ingredient is ineffective. The study records below remain available.
This profile concerns the stated outcome and population, not the ingredient as a whole. It is not a probability of benefit, a safety rating, a product efficacy rating or an indication of product adoption.
How we assess evidenceIngredient Profile
- What is it, and where is it found?
- Proteins are chains of amino acids. Whey is a milk-derived protein; protein supplements are one way of adding to total dietary protein. [1]
Sources for this profile
Compound properties and formulation properties are different. These sources do not establish the efficacy of a finished supplement.
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance Nutrient identity and food-source reference. Published by NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Reference synthesis; not an individual clinical trial.
Profile sources checked:
Read the evidence in context
- Evidence: what was measured in the stated population or experimental model.
- Inference: an interpretation connecting findings; its applicability depends on the study conditions.
- Hypothesis: a proposed explanation or effect that remains to be tested.
Why It Matters #
What changes when protein supplementation is added to resistance training? Check the detailed records for study conditions and use the literature map to compare other populations and outcomes.
What Was Studied #
49 trials involving 1,863 participants Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs. Outcomes: Strength, fat-free mass and muscle size[1]
What Was Found #
Supplementation combined with resistance training produced additional gains in strength and fat-free mass, among other measures.[1]
What the Evidence Means #
Results depend on background diet, age and training experience. Analyses of total intake, including food, cannot define one additional dose for everyone.[1]
Comparing similar populations, formulations, durations and outcomes helps identify where findings agree and where they differ.
What We Can Learn #
Distinguish supplementation alone from nutrition supporting training. Start with total intake, including food.
What Remains Unknown #
Further questions include reproducibility across populations and formulations, and the long-term balance of benefits and harms. Use the literature map as a starting point for these questions.
LITERATURE MAP / 10 PAPERS
Compare papers by conditions and findings.
A literature map covering different populations, outcomes and formulations. Read alongside detailed records to avoid treating one trial as the conclusion for an entire ingredient.
Selected: 2026-09-21. Bibliographic information checked against Europe PMC / PubMed. Editorial selection considered major papers and a range of populations and questions. This is not a systematic search covering all recent research.
10 RECORDS
A dash marks fields outside the bibliographic record. Use detailed records to compare findings and design records to connect mechanisms.
No papers match. Change the search conditions.
The literature map is an index of research questions and references. Individual assessment of results, doses, funding and COI is limited to the detailed study records. Related reports from the same trial may be included; paper counts are not counts of independent trials.
Explore the research Study Records
Listed doses describe study conditions, not recommended intake.
A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults.
PubMed 28698222DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2017-097608
- Authors
- Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, Schoenfeld BJ, Henselmans M, Helms E, Aragon AA, Devries MC, Banfield L, Krieger JW, Phillips SM.
- Journal
- British journal of sports medicine
- Publication year
- 2018
- Study design
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs
- Participants
- 49 trials involving 1,863 participants
- Dose and intervention
- Supplement amounts and protein types varied by trial. This was not an analysis of whey alone.
- Duration
- At least 6 weeks of resistance training
- Outcomes and their role in the study
- Strength, fat-free mass and muscle size
- Findings
- Supplementation combined with resistance training produced additional gains in strength and fat-free mass, among other measures.
- Limitations
- Results depend on background diet, age and training experience. Analyses of total intake, including food, cannot define one additional dose for everyone.
- Funding
- The acknowledgments identify support to Phillips from Canada Research Chairs, CIHR and NSERC during this work. This is separate from the dairy-industry relationships disclosed below.
- Conflict of Interest
- SMP received research support, travel expenses and honoraria from the US National Dairy Council, which also supported trials included in the analysis.
- Scope of source review
- Primary review methods, relevant results and disclosures checked on 2026-10-24. The review is not an additional trial independent of its included studies.
Cite this page
LÍFSVARÐA. Protein and whey: What changes when protein supplementation is added to resistance training? Version 1.1 / Updated 2026-10-24
https://lifsvarda.com/knowledge/protein/Edited by LÍFSVARÐA (product brand).Editorial policy
Safety and use context
Protein needs include food and supplements together. Kidney disease can require a different total intake depending on disease stage and treatment; discuss changes with the treating clinician or dietitian rather than applying a sports-study intake directly.
Sources and updates
- Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, Schoenfeld BJ, Henselmans M, Helms E, Aragon AA, Devries MC, Banfield L, Krieger JW, Phillips SM. (2018). A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults.Primary review methods, relevant results and disclosures checked on 2026-10-24. The review is not an additional trial independent of its included studies.
First published: 2026-09-21 / Version 1.1. Updated 2026-09-23: Added a research comparison table and links to design records. Source notes identify the scope of verification when the full paper has not been reviewed. Research summaries and LÍFSVARÐA’s interpretation are distinguished.