The Study
Influence of protein source (cricket, pea, whey) on amino acid bioavailability and activation of the mTORC1 signaling pathway after resistance exercise in healthy young males
This study shows that when young men drink different kinds of protein after exercise, the amount of building blocks (amino acids) in their blood is higher with whey than with cricket or pea protein. But we can't say for sure that the protein type *caused* the difference because we don’t know all the details about how the study was done.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Young men exercised one leg and then drank a protein shake made from cricket, pea, or whey. Scientists checked their blood and muscles to see how each protein worked.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 547 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Even though whey raised amino acids more, none of the proteins worked better than the others at turning on muscle growth signals in the short term.
- 2Whey protein caused higher levels of amino acids in the blood than cricket or pea.
- 3All three proteins turned on the muscle growth signal (mTORC1) the same amount.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
European Journal of Nutrition
Year
2022
Authors
Sofie Kaas Lanng, Mikkel Oxfeldt, Simon S. Pedersen, F. Johansen, Jeyanthini Risikesan, Trine Lejel, H. C. Bertram, M. Hansen
Related Content
Claims (4)
It's not just how fast amino acids show up in your blood after eating — it's how much your body gets over time that might matter more for building muscle.
If young, healthy guys work out and then drink a whey protein shake based on their lean body weight, their bodies will absorb more amino acids than if they drank the same amount of cricket or pea protein.
In young, healthy guys, eating cricket, pea, or whey protein (based on body type) works the same for turning on a key muscle-building signal in the body — whether they’ve just worked out or not.
After a workout, drinking protein from cricket, pea, or whey doesn't seem to turn on muscle-building signals more than just taking the protein alone — at least not in the short term.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.