The Claim

In sedentary adults, 84 days of pea protein supplementation combined with resistance training results in an 18.2% improvement in handgrip strength, which is significantly greater than the 9.9% improvement observed with whey protein supplementation combined with resistance training.

Source: Efficacy of Pea Protein Supplementation in Combination with a Resistance Training Program on Muscle Performance in a Sedentary Adult Population: A Randomized, Comparator-Controlled, Parallel Clinical Trial

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
76score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Cause and effect
1 study reviewed
In plain English

Among sedentary adults, taking pea protein with resistance training for 84 days leads to an 18.2% increase in handgrip strength, which is larger than the 9.9% increase seen with whey protein and the same training program.

See the scientific wording

In sedentary adults, 84 days of pea protein supplementation combined with resistance training leads to a 18.2% improvement in handgrip strength, which is significantly greater than the 9.9% improvement observed with whey protein, suggesting a potential differential effect on upper limb strength.

Why this might work

Pea protein releases more leucine than whey protein when digested, which strongly activates a cellular switch called mTOR in muscle cells. This switch tells the cells to build more muscle proteins, especially when combined with resistance training. Over 84 days, this leads to more muscle growth in the hands and forearms, resulting in greater handgrip strength compared to whey protein.

Supported mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: Efficacy of Pea Protein Supplementation in Combination with a Resistance Training Program on Muscle Performance in a Sedentary Adult Population: A Randomized, Comparator-Controlled, Parallel Clinical Trial

    In a study where people took pea protein or whey protein while doing strength training, those who took pea protein got significantly stronger in their handgrip than those who took whey protein — so pea protein may be better for boosting hand and forearm strength.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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