Play a word association game with “vegan” and “healthy” might come up pretty quickly. “Muscular” maybe not. But that could change – and sooner than you might think. As plant-based lifestyles become more prevalent among more Americans, vegan protein powders obtained from plant sources, e.g PeasRice, soy and hemp are becoming increasingly popular for post-workout recovery.
And they’re not just a watered-down replacement for it wheyonly appeals to those who avoid consuming animal products. Research has shown that vegan protein can achieve similar results to other types of protein. Here’s what you should know about vegan protein powder for building muscle.
Can you build muscle with vegan protein powder?
You can completely build muscle with vegan protein powder. A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Medicine found that rice and whey protein produced similar results for body composition and performance. And Pea protein was also found to be quite effective compared to a placebo (and on par with whey).
Just like whey, vegan can also contain protein BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids), a category of protein building blocks important for muscles and the heart. However, among the three BCAAs Leucine seems to be particularly important for building muscle.
As such it is The International Society for Sports Nutrition recommends Protein sources rich in leucine (such as whey and pea protein) and provide a balanced selection of essential amino acids (EAAs).
Whey protein is known to be a complete proteinwhich contains sufficient amounts of all nine In the EAA. And while most vegan protein sources aren’t complete on their own, you can combine pea protein with other plant-based proteins a more complete amino acid profilesuggests Kelly Jones, MS, RD, CSSD, LDNa board-certified sports nutritionist in Newtown, Pennsylvania
To build muscle on a vegan diet, Jones recommends starting with 1.8 grams of protein per kg (equivalent to 2.2 pounds) of your weight in protein per day and increasing that number in grams by 10 percent. Why add 10 percent?
“This is because the bioavailability of many plant protein sources is lower than that of animal sources,” says Jones. That means You can digest and absorb a little less the amino acid content of a plant food compared to animal protein.
Does vegan protein work better than whey for building muscle?
Although studies suggest that vegan protein powder may be as effective as animal protein, there is no conclusive evidence that vegan protein is better to build muscle.
Both whey and vegan protein powders provide protein to help you refuel Repair muscle after training. The choice largely comes down to personal preferences, including dietary habits and allergies.
And no matter which protein powder you choose, don’t expect it to do more than its share of the job.
“Protein shakes will not determine the success or failure of your results,” says Jones. “Ultimately it will all come down to this Total protein and energy intake as well as the timing of your protein intake.”
And there’s more to it than that.
“Eat enough calories, especially from Carbohydratesis important for fueling your workout and maintaining high intensity during exercise,” she adds.
But you might find vegan protein better than animal protein, though whey or casein tend to upset your stomach, and of course if you follow a vegan diet.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
