Can plant protein build muscle like whey?
Muscle Protein Synthesis in Response to Plant-Based Protein Isolates With and Without Added Leucine Versus Whey Protein in Young Men and Women
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
20g of plant protein + 1.5g leucine matched whey’s muscle-building effect despite lower insulin response.
Most experts assume insulin is critical for MPS—this study shows leucine alone can drive equal anabolism without it.
Practical Takeaways
Add 1.5g of leucine powder to your 20g plant-based protein shake to match whey’s muscle-building effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
20g of plant protein + 1.5g leucine matched whey’s muscle-building effect despite lower insulin response.
Most experts assume insulin is critical for MPS—this study shows leucine alone can drive equal anabolism without it.
Practical Takeaways
Add 1.5g of leucine powder to your 20g plant-based protein shake to match whey’s muscle-building effect.
Publication
Journal
Current Developments in Nutrition
Year
2024
Authors
Changhyun Lim, Tom Anthonius Hubertus Janssen, Brad S. Currier, Nelani Paramanantharajah, James McKendry, Sidney Abou Sawan, S. Phillips
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Claims (7)
Taking leucine, a building block found in protein, tells your muscles to start making more protein, helping them grow and repair.
Adding leucine to plant-based proteins makes them just as good at building muscle as whey protein, which comes from milk.
If you're a healthy young adult, eating a plant-based protein shake with extra leucine can build muscle just as well as a whey protein shake, as long as both have the same essential amino acids — the leucine seems to be the secret ingredient.
Adding a little extra leucine to a plant-based protein shake makes your body absorb more leucine and builds more muscle compared to the shake without it, which means leucine was the missing piece your body needed.
Eating 20 grams of whey protein and 20 grams of a plant-based protein with added leucine both build muscle at about the same rate in young, healthy people—even though whey makes your insulin spike higher. That means insulin probably isn’t the main reason your muscles grow after protein.