Can plant protein build muscle as well as meat protein?
High-Protein Plant-Based Diet Versus a Protein-Matched Omnivorous Diet to Support Resistance Training Adaptations: A Comparison Between Habitual Vegans and Omnivores
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Plant-based diets produced identical muscle fiber growth despite lower expected anabolic response.
Previous short-term studies showed plant proteins like soy trigger less muscle protein synthesis than whey. This long-term study contradicts that, showing no difference in actual muscle growth.
Practical Takeaways
Aim for 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, whether from plants or animals, to maximize muscle growth from resistance training.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Plant-based diets produced identical muscle fiber growth despite lower expected anabolic response.
Previous short-term studies showed plant proteins like soy trigger less muscle protein synthesis than whey. This long-term study contradicts that, showing no difference in actual muscle growth.
Practical Takeaways
Aim for 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, whether from plants or animals, to maximize muscle growth from resistance training.
Publication
Journal
Sports Medicine
Year
2021
Authors
Victoria Hevia-Larraín, B. Gualano, Igor Longobardi, Saulo Gil, Alan L. Fernandes, L. Costa, R. Pereira, G. Artioli, Stuart M Phillips, H. Roschel
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Claims (4)
If you eat the same amount of protein and lift weights the same way, it doesn’t matter whether your protein is fast- or slow-digesting—even if it’s from plants like soy—your muscle gains will be about the same.
If young guys who don’t work out much eat a plant-based or meat-based diet with the same amount of protein and lift weights for 12 weeks, they’ll gain about the same amount of leg muscle and strength.
If you're a vegan or meat-eater and both of you lift weights and eat the same amount of protein every day, your muscles will grow just as much over three months — it doesn't matter where your protein comes from.
If young guys who don't usually lift weights eat about 1.6 grams of protein per kilo of body weight every day—whether from plant-based foods and soy protein or from regular mixed diets with whey—they can get noticeably stronger in their legs after 12 weeks of weight training.