Whey Protein Boosts Muscle Growth with Exercise.

In 2025, Xiaorong Ji and team from Shanghai University of Sport reviewed 21 studies with 1,200+ healthy adults. They looked at how whey protein, taken with exercise like weight lifting or running, helps build muscle. The studies compared groups using whey (20-40g per dose) to those doing exercise alone or with other proteins, measuring muscle protein synthesis (how muscles repair and grow) and the AKT/mTOR pathway, a cell signal that turns on muscle building.

The results showed whey protein with exercise increased muscle protein synthesis by 20-30% more than exercise alone, and activated the AKT/mTOR pathway up to 50% higher, leading to 5-15% better muscle strength and size. This worked best right after workouts, helping muscles recover faster and grow stronger.

Add 20-40g whey protein after workouts to supercharge muscle growth and strength.