Effects of milk fat globule membrane ingestion with exercise on physical strength in healthy young adults: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: The milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is a structural membrane that covers the globules of triglycerides dispersed in an emulsion of milk. In previous human studies, MFGM ingestion combined with light aerobic exercise training improved agility in elderly individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine whether 4 weeks of daily ingestion of MFGM combined with power training improves instantaneous physical strength - muscle strength, agility, and muscle power compared with placebo (whey protein isolate) in healthy young adults.

Method: The study was designed as a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial. Ninety-eight healthy young adults aged 20-49 completed the study intervention, and they received either an MFGM powder containing 1.7 g of fat and 160 mg of sphingomyelin or an isocaloric placebo powder daily throughout 4 weeks (3 times/week) of power training. Physical strength tests and body composition measurements were conducted before and after the four-week intervention. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) model with baseline values as a covariate was carried out to test differences in post intervention values between groups.

Results: Ingestion of MFGM significantly improved peak torque (p = 0.003) and average power (p = 0.019) of isokinetic knee extensors, leg press 1 repetition maximum (RM) (p = 0.004) and sit-ups reps (p = 0.030), but not indicators of agility, compared with placebo after the 4-week intervention. There were no significant changes in lean body mass during the intervention period in either group and no significant differences between groups.

Conclusions: We conclude that daily MFGM supplementation combined with power training are effective to improve instantaneous physical strength, such as muscle strength and power, compared with placebo in healthy young adults.