SynthesisFrontiers in nutrition2024
The effect of protein intake on athletic performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in nutrition, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed.
- Trial
- Plant-protein supplementation improves thermoregulatory responses and ameliorates markers of intestinal damage during exercise in the heat.Experimental physiology · 2026Article
- Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy: Advances, Challenges, and Prospects for Clinical Translation.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Energy Expenditure Exceeds Nutritional Intake of ROTC Members During a Field Training Exercise.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Article
- Data-augmented machine learning for personalized carbohydrate-protein supplement recommendation for endurance.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Current Perspectives on Protein Supplementation in Athletes: General Guidance and Special Considerations for Diabetes-A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2025Review
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Background: The impact of a protein-rich diet and protein supplements on athletic performance remains a topic of debate. Does protein intake offer benefits for athletes? If so, which specific aspects of athletic performance are most influenced by protein? Methods: This study aimed to explore the relationship between protein intake and athletic performance. A systematic database search was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining the effects of protein intake on athletes' performance. The databases searched included PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Ovid. The meta-analysis included a total of 28 studies involving 373 athletes. The meta-analysis employed both the fixed-effects model and the random-effects model to investigate the impact of protein intake on sports performance. Subgroup analyses were conducted to provide solid evidence to explain the results of the meta-analysis. Sensitive analysis and funnel plots were used to assess the risk of bias and data robustness. Results: Overall, protein intake did not show a statistically significant improvement in athletic performance (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.01 to 0.25). However, in subgroup analysis, the protein group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in endurance performance, as indicated by the forest plot of final values (SMD = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.32). Additionally, the change value in the forest plot for endurance performance showed even greater statistical significance than the final value (SMD = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.15 to 0.46). In the subgroup analysis based on physiological indices, muscle glycogen showed a statistically significant improvement in the protein group (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02 to 0.32). Furthermore, subgroup analyses based on protein supplementation strategies revealed that co-ingestion of protein and carbohydrates (CHO) demonstrated statistically significant improvements in endurance performance (SMD = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.11 to 0.61), whereas high protein intake alone did not. Conclusion: Protein intake appears to provide modest benefits to athletes in improving their performance, particularly by enhancing endurance. Subgroup analysis suggests that protein intake improves muscle glycogen levels and that the co-ingestion of protein with CHO is more effective for endurance athletes than high protein intake alone. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, Identifier CRD42024508021.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.