Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) and muscle mass
What 3 graded rows on essential amino acids (eaas) agree on for muscle mass, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.
Consensus finder Rows from the Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides
What the rows agree on
Each block and row is one graded row from the Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) page, with its PubMed record.
Your question
Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) and muscle mass
3 rows · 102 peopleMostly an improvement: 2 of 3 rows, and most of the people. 1 had mixed results.
- CGrade C× 1
- DGrade D× 2
- Rows
- 3
- Trials
- 3
- People
- 102
What the rows share
From the rowsThe best-graded row, grade C, is a randomized trial of 76 people (2026) and found an improvement.
The rows run from 12 to 76 people, published from 2008 to 2026: 3 single studies.
The rows
2 improved · 1 mixed- CGrade CMuscle mass and fitness with resistance exercise in older women · Improved
RCT · n 76 · 2026 · Healthy women aged 65+ without insulin resistance
5.5 g twice daily (11 g/day) · 12 weeks
Exercise plus EAAs increased muscle mass and senior fitness test scores more than control, and the combination was reported as better than exercise or EAAs alone; TNF-α fell only in the combined group.
Row on the Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) page · PubMed 41863133 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DLean mass, strength and function in glucose-intolerant older adults · Improved
Open-label trial · n 12 · 2008 · Glucose-intolerant older adults (mean age 67)
11 g twice daily (22 g/day) · 16 weeks
Lean body mass rose by 1.14 kg at week 12 (not significant vs baseline by week 16); leg strength rose 22% and gait speed and functional tests improved versus baseline.
Row on the Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) page · PubMed 18294740 (opens PubMed)
- DGrade DLean body mass and strength in older women · Mixed
RCT · n 14 · 2009 · Older women (mean age 68)
15 g/day · 3 months
Lean body mass and basal muscle protein synthesis rose only with EAAs; one-repetition maximum strength did not change in either group.
Row on the Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) page · PubMed 19208731 (opens PubMed)