Fortified Plant Proteins Match Whey for Muscle Growth in Aged Mice

Aging populations need effective, sustainable protein options. This study compared a pea–soy protein blend (PS), the same blend fortified with extra leucine (PS+L), and whey protein (W) for their ability to stimulate muscle protein synthesis (MPS) in 25‑month‑old mice. After oral dosing and short-term sampling, both whey and the leucine‑fortified plant blend produced significant increases in MPS and raised plasma and muscle leucine levels, while the unfortified plant blend did not. Activation of the mTOR pathway marker 4EBP1 rose with all protein treatments versus water. Results indicate that adding leucine to plant protein blends can restore their anabolic potency to match whey in this acute aging model, highlighting leucine’s key role in driving muscle anabolic responses.

Source : https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11579064/