The authors pooled 49 randomized controlled trials covering 1,863 healthy adults who resistance trained for at least six weeks. Adding a protein supplement produced small extra gains in strength, fat-free mass and muscle fiber size. The benefit fell with increasing age, was larger in people who were already trained, and stopped once total protein intake reached about 1.6 g per kg of body weight per day.
Taking a protein supplement alongside weight training is standard practice among lifters, and it has also been recommended for older people to slow age-related muscle loss. Earlier reviews and meta-analyses had reached conflicting conclusions about whether the supplement adds anything on top of the training itself, which the authors put down to differing inclusion rules. They ran a larger analysis, and asked: is there a daily protein intake beyond which supplementing stops adding anything?
The authors systematically searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL and SportDiscus up to January 2017. Training had to last at least 6 weeks with sessions at least twice a week, and at least one group had to receive a protein supplement not combined with other muscle-building agents such as creatine or HMB. Participants had to be healthy and not calorie-restricted. After screening 3056 studies, 49 trials with 1863 participants were included. Meta-regressions used four covariates decided in advance: baseline protein intake, protein dose, age and training status.
Protein supplementation added a small amount on top of training across every outcome:
Increasing age reduced it (minus 0.01 kg per year, 95% CI minus 0.02 to 0.00, p = 0.002), and being already resistance-trained increased it (0.75 kg, 95% CI 0.09 to 1.40, p = 0.03). Split by training status, the gain was 1.05 kg in trained participants (95% CI 0.61 to 1.50, p below 0.0001) but 0.15 kg and not statistically significant in untrained ones (95% CI minus 0.02 to 0.31, p = 0.08). The break point analysis put the plateau in fat-free mass gains at a total intake of 1.62 g/kg/day, with a wide confidence interval of 1.03 to 2.20, and the authors note the segmental fit was not statistically significant (p = 0.079). Post-exercise protein dose did not affect results.
The senior author states he has received grant support, travel expenses and honoraria for presentations from the US National Dairy Council, and that this agency has supported trials included in the analysis. Research in older people was thin: only 13 studies met inclusion criteria in people over 45, and only 2 gave a post-exercise dose the authors consider optimal. The average supplemental dose given to older participants was 20 plus or minus 18 g per day, which the authors call surprisingly low, so the null result in older people may reflect underdosing rather than a real absence of effect. The covariate analyses are described as hypothesis generating.
The honest summary is that resistance training does most of the work and protein supplementation adds a small increment on top: about 2.5 kg on a one-rep max and about 0.3 kg of fat-free mass on average. The increment appears larger in people who already train and smaller as age rises, and it appears to stop adding once total daily protein reaches somewhere around 1.6 g/kg/day, though that estimate is imprecise. This analysis covers healthy adults eating at or above their energy needs. It does not apply to people in a calorie deficit, and the older-adult findings are weak enough that they should not be read as evidence that protein does not help older people.
That depends on the specific medication and formula. A few, like blood thinners with CurQLife or blood pressure medication with MaxiNOs, are worth a direct conversation with your doctor first. Check each formula's own FAQ section for specifics, or ask your health coach.
No, and we'd rather be upfront about it. Bacopa, the plant in BacoZest, has published human studies, though they used other bacopa extracts. OptiNOs and MaxiNOs each have human studies sponsored by their maker, Laila Nutraceuticals, which haven't been published in a journal. CurQLife's research is still early, from lab and animal studies, and we label it that way.
It depends on what you're building your routine around. BacoZest is built around bacopa, which is studied for memory.* OptiNOs supports strength and muscular endurance alongside resistance training.* MaxiNOs was studied for healthy blood vessel function.* CurQLife's research is still at the lab stage. Your health coach can help you pick a starting point.
All four are built around plant extracts. OptiNOs was reported as well tolerated in its human study, and published bacopa studies reported no serious side effects. CurQLife's safety data so far comes from lab and animal testing. Check with your doctor first if you're pregnant, nursing, on medication, or managing a health condition.
Because the patented ingredients behind our four formulas went through dedicated research, and research costs real money. A generic curcumin or bacopa supplement hasn't been tested in the form you get from us. You're paying for an ingredient with research behind it, not just a label.
Generic ingredients often haven't been studied in the specific form you're buying. Our four core formulas use patented ingredients, and we show you the research behind each one, including where it's still early.
It depends on the formula. In its study, MaxiNOs blood vessel response was higher than placebo 2 to 3 hours after the first dose.* OptiNOs and bacopa were studied over 6 and 12 weeks of daily use, so give them time. CurQLife is meant to be taken daily.
Yes. BacoZest, OptiNOs, MaxiNOs, and CurQLife are built for different goals, and none of them contain stimulants. They haven't been studied together, so ask your health coach how to fit them into your routine.
