With its associations to lean muscle mass and satiety claims, whey protein continues to be an ingredient of interest to beverage manufacturers. According to Mintel’s Global New Products Database, from March 2012 to August 2012, 19 new beverages were released that contain whey protein. Product releases featured a number of formats including powders, smoothies, ready-to-drink (RTD) offerings and shots, based on the Chicago-based market research firm’s data.
Reaffirming the links to whey protein and lean muscles, the Dairy Research Institute funded a study that was presented at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting by the study’s principal investigator, Jeff Volek, associate professor at the University of Connecticut. The study followed participants for nine months as they completed a resistance training program three times a week. Participants were given either 20 grams of whey protein concentrate or soy isolate daily at breakfast on non-training days or immediately following exercise, it states.