# Insects are a viable protein source for human consumption: from insect protein digestion to postprandial muscle protein synthesis in vivo in humans: a double-blind randomized trial
Canonical: https://nutritionizm.com/research/10-1093-ajcn-nqab115/
Last verified: 2026-10-26
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2021), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqab115
License: USDA FoodData Central values are public domain (CC0 1.0); Nutritionizm compilation and plain-language text are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (attribution: link to Canonical URL).

## TL;DR

Lesser mealworm protein digests and builds muscle similarly to milk protein in young men.

## What they did

Researchers studied 24 healthy young men in a double-blind trial. The men ate 30 grams of either lesser mealworm protein or milk protein after resistance exercise. Scientists tracked amino acids in the blood and muscle building over 5 hours.

## What they found

Over 5 hours, 73% ± 7% of mealworm protein-derived phenylalanine and 77% ± 7% of milk protein-derived phenylalanine entered the blood. Muscle protein synthesis increased after both proteins at rest and after exercise. After exercise, rates reached 0.059 ± 0.015%/h for mealworm and 0.073 ± 0.020%/h for milk, with no difference between groups.

## Why it matters

Studies suggest that lesser mealworm protein may support muscle building in a way similar to milk protein. This means insect protein could be a viable alternative to conventional animal protein. More research is needed to see how this fits into everyday meals.

## Limits

The study only included healthy young men, so the results may not apply to other groups. This is general education, not medical advice.

## Jargon explained

- **postprandial**: happening after a meal
- **phenylalanine**: a building block of protein called an amino acid
- **muscle protein synthesis**: the process by which the body builds muscle protein

## Full citation

Wesley J. H. Hermans, Joan M. Senden, Tyler A. Churchward‐Venne, Kevin J.M. Paulussen, Cas J. Fuchs, Joey S.J. Smeets, Joop J. A. van Loon, Lex B. Verdijk, Luc J. C. van Loon (2021). Insects are a viable protein source for human consumption: from insect protein digestion to postprandial muscle protein synthesis in vivo in humans: a double-blind randomized trial. *American Journal of Clinical Nutrition*. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqab115