According to the study's senior author, Stuart Phillips, "the greatest metabolic health benefits resulting from weight loss are achieved with retention of muscle and loss of fat." Although higher protein diets promote muscle retention, some proteins, like whey protein, affect MPS better than others, Phillips noted. He surmised that the amino acid leucine in whey might be the difference maker, but said more research was necessary to pinpoint the ultimate cause.

160 food and beverage industry decision makers attended the USDEC Healthy Snacking seminar held in Tokyo on October 31, 2014. Speakers included confectionery R&D expert Bob Boutin of Knechtel, dairy ingredient applications expert KJ Burrington of the Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, and local functional snacking expert and enthusiast, Dr. Kazunaga Yazawa of Waseda University. The speakers inspired attendees to expand "better for you" product lines utilizing U.S. whey and milk proteins that meet Japanese consumer lifestyles and health and wellness needs.

Nearly 70 food and beverage industry decision makers attended a USDEC trade seminar on U.S. whey protein health and wellness innovation opportunities on November 15, 2013. Elena Groothuizen, Market Analyst at Innova Market Insights, was the key speaker, sharing data on the rising protein boom and trend in new health and wellness product introductions with whey protein in the United States across key categories such as for weight management, healthy aging and beyond.