Vegan protein helps build muscle as effectively as animal protein
According to a study, vegan protein promotes muscle building while also training resistance as effectively as animal protein. Research explores whether a vegan diet rich in mycoprotein, a nutritious, alternative protein source with a meat-like texture made from a naturally occurring fungus called Fusarium venenatum, can promote muscle growth resistance training versus diet or not.
DOIs: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.02.023
The randomized study was divided into 2 phases, 16 healthy young adults completed a 3-day diet in the first phase, in which their protein came from purely vegan or omnivorous sources, while Detailed metabolic measurements are recorded. During phase 2, 22 healthy young individuals completed a 10-week high-volume resistance training program while they were on either a mycoprotein-rich vegan diet or a high-protein diet.
Results showed similar gains in muscle strength and mass from both diets, with no significant difference between the two diets. The diet group gained 2.6 kg of lean muscle mass, while the vegan diet group gained 3.1 kg. The thigh muscles of both diet groups increased in size equally during the study period.
According to these results, it was concluded that a mycoprotein-rich vegan diet could be as effective as a high-protein omnivorous diet for building muscle during resistance training.
While this study demonstrates the potential of mycoprotein in building muscle, other research has shown that mycoprotein is superior at building muscle compared to dairy protein, and another has shown that a vegan diet Rich in mycoproteins that support the maintenance of muscle tissue in the elderly. However, this latest study compared mycoprotein directly with an omnivorous diet that included meat over a 10-week period.
It is well known that muscle building can be improved by following a high protein diet. However, it has been previously unclear whether protein derived from non-animal sources can support resistance-training muscle building as well as dietary and animal-derived protein.
This study shows that mycoprotein versus animal protein is associated with its ability to facilitate muscle strength and mass gain in young people who participate in regular resistance training.
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