Macro partitioning
When essential amino acid profiles are equated, a novel plant-based protein matrix provides equivalent benefits to whey protein for body composition, strength, power, and aerobic performance in trained futsal players over an 8-week period.
If you are an athlete consuming enough total protein (over 1.6g/kg body weight per day), the specific source of your protein supplement (plant vs. whey) does not matter for muscle gain, strength, or performance, provided the plant protein is formulated to match the essential amino acid profile of whey. You can choose plant-based options without sacrificing results.
Supplementing with either a novel plant-based protein matrix or whey protein did not affect any of the variables assessed in high-level futsal players over 8 wks. These results suggest that whey protein does not possess any unique anabolic properties over and above those of plant-based proteins when equated to an essential amino acid profile in the population studied.
Why this rating
Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled (active control) trial with a reasonably large sample for the population (n=40 completers), rigorous testing protocols, and statistical power calculation.
Source
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
Filipe J. Teixeira et al. · Frontiers in Nutrition · 2022
DOI 10.3389/fnut.2022.934438
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