Joseph
Evidence Based
Many people think building muscle as a vegan is an uphill battle, if not an unwinnable one.
Once you understand how much protein you need to build muscle, and how much is in animal foods and how little in plant foods, it’s natural to wonder if you can build any muscle to speak of following a vegan diet.
Well, you can, though it’s more difficult than it is for omnivores.
The truth is you absolutely can build muscle eating nothing but vegan protein sources—you just have to be more careful about what foods you eat.
Let’s kick off this discussion by looking at why it’s usually more difficult for vegans to build muscle than omnivores (and what to do about it!).
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Timestamps:
3:54 – Why should I care about my protein intake while I’m cutting?
7:58 – How much protein should I be eating when I’m cutting?
9:07 – How does protein powder fit in?
22:29 – How much protein powder is too much?
24:11 – What is the best protein powder for weight loss?
Mentioned on The Show:
What did you think of this episode? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!
+ Scientific References
- Karkos, P. D., Leong, S. C., Karkos, C. D., Sivaji, N., & Assimakopoulos, D. A. (2011). Spirulina in clinical practice: Evidence-based human applications. In Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (Vol. 2011). Hindawi Limited. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/nen058
- Bohn, L., Meyer, A. S., & Rasmussen, S. K. (2008). Phytate: Impact on environment and human nutrition. A challenge for molecular breeding. In Journal of Zhejiang University: Science B (Vol. 9, Issue 3, pp. 165–191). Zhejiang University Press. https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.B0710640
- Musa-Veloso, K., Paulionis, L., Poon, T., & Lee, H. Y. (2016). The effects of almond consumption on fasting blood lipid levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Journal of Nutritional Science, 5, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2016.19
- Joy, J. M., Lowery, R. P., Wilson, J. M., Purpura, M., De Souza, E. O., Wilson, S. M., Kalman, D. S., Dudeck, J. E., & Jäger, R. (2013). The effects of 8 weeks of whey or rice protein supplementation on body composition and exercise performance. Nutrition Journal, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-12-86
- Babault, N., Christos Païzis, Deley, G., Laetitia Guérin-Deremaux, Marie-Hélène Saniez, Lefranc-Millot, C., & Allaert, F. A. (2015). Pea proteins oral supplementation promotes muscle thickness gains during resistance training: A double-blind, randomized, Placebo-controlled clinical trial vs. Whey protein. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-014-0064-5
- H. Hoogenkamp, & J.P.D. Wanasundara. (n.d.). Rice Protein – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. Retrieved January 20, 2021, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/rice-protein
- Mariotti, F., Pueyo, M. E., Tomé, D., Bérot, S., Benamouzig, R., & Mahé, S. (2001). The influence of the albumin fraction on the bioavailability and postprandial utilization of pea protein given selectively to humans. Journal of Nutrition, 131(6), 1706–1713. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/131.6.1706
- Whitehead, A., Beck, E. J., Tosh, S., & Wolever, T. M. S. (2014). Cholesterol-lowering effects of oat β-glucan: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials1. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 100(6), 1413–1421. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.086108
- Kimball, S. R., & Jefferson, L. S. (2006). Signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms through which branched-chain amino acids mediate translational control of protein synthesis. Journal of Nutrition, 136(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/136.1.227s
- van Vliet, S., Burd, N. A., & van Loon, L. J. C. (2015). The skeletal muscle anabolic response to plant- versus animal-based protein consumption. In Journal of Nutrition (Vol. 145, Issue 9, pp. 1981–1991). American Society for Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.114.204305
- Berrazaga, I., Micard, V., Gueugneau, M., & Walrand, S. (2019). The role of the anabolic properties of plant-versus animal-based protein sources in supporting muscle mass maintenance: a critical review. In Nutrients (Vol. 11, Issue 8). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11081825
- Helms, E. R., Aragon, A. A., & Fitschen, P. J. (2014). Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: Nutrition and supplementation. In Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (Vol. 11, Issue 1, pp. 1–20). BioMed Central Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1186/1550-2783-11-20
- Phillips, S. M., & van Loon, L. J. C. (2011). Dietary protein for athletes: From requirements to optimum adaptation. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(SUPPL. 1). https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2011.619204
- Mettler, S., Mitchell, N., & Tipton, K. D. (2010). Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 42(2), 326–337. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181b2ef8e
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