The Study
A Novel Plant-Based Protein Has Similar Effects Compared to Whey Protein on Body Composition, Strength, Power, and Aerobic Performance in Professional and Semi-Professional Futsal Players
This study compared two kinds of protein shakes in futsal players and found they both worked the same way—neither made people stronger or changed their body more than the other. But it only tested this one group of athletes, so we can't say it’s true for everyone else.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Two groups of pro futsal players took either plant-based or whey protein shakes every day for 8 weeks — but didn't do any weight training.
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 581 / 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 with good protein intake, you won't get bigger or stronger without lifting weights — and plant protein works just as well as whey if it has the same amino acids.
- 2Both groups gained no more muscle or strength.
- 3Fat went down a little in both.
- 4Blood tests and performance scores were the same.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Nutrition
Year
2022
Authors
F. J. Teixeira, C. Matias, João Faleiro, Rita Giro, J. Norberto Pires, H. Figueiredo, Raquel Carvalhinho, C. Monteiro, J. Reis, M. Valamatos, V. Teixeira, B. Schoenfeld
Related Content
Claims (6)
Men who lift weights for 12 weeks and take either plant-based or animal-based protein supplements gain the same amount of muscle mass and strength.
For trained male futsal players who are not doing weight training, consuming more than 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, even with extra protein supplements, does not change body composition or athletic performance after 8 weeks.
Among trained male futsal players who consume 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily without resistance training, a plant-based protein supplement with 2.2 grams of leucine per serving produces the same levels of muscle protein synthesis and muscle growth as whey protein.
Trained male futsal players who do not do resistance training do not gain muscle or increase lean body mass over 8 weeks, even if they consume more than 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, no matter what type of protein they eat.
In trained male futsal players consuming 1.6 g/kg/day of protein without resistance training, a novel plant-based protein supplement with the same essential amino acid profile as whey protein does not produce different changes in lean body mass, fat mass, muscle thickness, strength, power, or aerobic performance over 8 weeks compared to whey protein.
When a plant-based protein blend made from pea, yeast, and branched-chain amino acids is formulated to have the same essential amino acid profile as whey protein, it does not change blood markers related to health, metabolism, or inflammation in trained male futsal players after 8 weeks of use.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.