Leucine-enriched whey protein supplement and muscle in older adults
What it found
A leucine-enriched whey protein drink helped older adults with muscle loss gain a small amount of extra muscle and stand up faster.
This was seen in people over 13 weeks.
What they found
Studies in people
Grip strength and overall score
Both groups got stronger grips and better overall physical scores. There was no difference between the leucine group and the control group for these measures.
Standing up from a chair
The group taking the leucine-enriched drink improved more on a chair-stand test than the control group. They were about one second faster.
Muscle mass gains
The leucine group gained slightly more muscle in their arms and legs than the control group. The extra gain was 0.17 kg.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that 13 weeks of this leucine-enriched drink improved muscle mass and leg function in older adults with muscle loss.
- They suggest this type of supplement could help older patients who cannot exercise.
- The authors call for more research into using such drinks alongside other treatments to prevent disability.
How it was done
Losing muscle mass and strength with age can threaten independence and daily life. The authors wanted to see if a specific nutritional drink could improve these problems.
They gave 380 older adults living independently either a vitamin D and leucine-enriched whey protein drink or a matching control drink twice a day for 13 weeks. All participants had low muscle mass and reduced physical performance. Researchers measured grip strength, walking speed, balance, chair standing time and muscle size at the start, week 7 and week 13.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial tested a mix of leucine, whey protein and vitamin D together. It cannot show what leucine alone would do.
- The study lasted only 13 weeks. It cannot show whether these muscle gains last longer or prevent falls later on.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Medical Research Council (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- Carl von Ossietzky University, Germany; VU University Medical Center, The Netherlands; Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium
The paper
- Title
- Effects of a vitamin D and leucine-enriched whey protein nutritional supplement on measures of sarcopenia in older adults, the PROVIDE study: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Bauer JM, Verlaan S, Bautmans I, et al (2015). Effects of a vitamin D and leucine-enriched whey protein nutritional supplement on measures of sarcopenia in older adults, the PROVIDE study: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2015.05.021PubMed 26170041DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error