Whey protein ingestion and muscle protein anabolism in elderly

Decrease in muscle mass with age makes elderly susceptible to falls, loss of independence and disease. Ingestion of whey protein exerts acute beneficial effects on muscle protein anabolism in elderly. This is probably due to the specific amino acid profile of the whey protein (e.g. essential amino acids), together with its fast absorption and the rate of appearance of its individual amino acids in blood. Further, ingestion of intact whey protein provides a greater anabolic benefit than ingestion of its essential amino acids alone, suggesting that whey protein is more than just a simple source of essential amino acids with respect to providing a stimulus for enhancing muscle protein anabolism in the elderly.