Whole Egg Vs. Egg White Ingestion During 12 weeks of Resistance Training in Trained Young Males: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Bagheri, R, Moghadam, BH, Ashtary-Larky, D, Forbes, SC, Candow, DG, Galpin, AJ, Eskandari, M, Kreider, RB, and Wong, A. Whole egg vs. egg white ingestion during 12 weeks of resistance training in trained young males: a randomized controlled trial. J Strength Cond Res 35(2): 411-419, 2021-The primary purpose was to compare the effects of whole egg ingestion and egg white ingestion during 12 weeks of resistance training (RT) on muscle cross-sectional area, body composition, muscular strength, and anaerobic power in resistance-trained young males. A secondary purpose was to examine systemic hormonal responses. Thirty resistance-trained young males were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups: Whole eggs + RT (WER; n = 15) or egg whites + RT (ERT; n = 15). Whole eggs + RT ingested 3 whole eggs immediately following RT, whereas ERT ingested an isonitrogenous quantity consisting of 6 egg whites immediately following RT. Before and after 12 weeks of whole-body undulating periodized RT (3 sessions per week), knee extensor muscle mass and cross-sectional area (computed tomography), lean body mass and body fat percentage (bioelectrical impedance), muscular strength (knee extension, handgrip strength), Wingate (cycle ergometer), and serum concentrations of hormones were assessed. There was a significant group x time interaction for body fat percentage, serum testosterone, knee extension, and handgrip strength with greater improvements observed in WER. There was a significant main effect of time (p < 0.05) for knee extensor muscle mass, cross-sectional area, lean body mass, anaerobic power, and all other blood hormones. There was a trend (p = 0.06) in the WER group for having a greater change in lean body mass compared with that of ERT. Postexercise whole egg ingestion increases knee extension and handgrip strength, testosterone, and reduces body fat percentage compared with postexercise egg white ingestion, despite no group differences in muscle mass, in resistance-trained young males. Whole eggs consumption may be preferable during RT programs geared toward the improvement of muscular strength and body fat percentage.