Research
Macro partitioning
Processing plant proteins (e.g., isolation, heating, fermentation) significantly improves their digestibility and bioavailability, making them more effective for MPS than raw plant foods.
If you struggle to eat enough plant protein from whole foods alone, consider using plant protein isolates or concentrates (like pea or soy isolate). These are processed to remove anti-nutrients that block digestion, making the protein much more available for your muscles than raw beans or grains.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Plant proteins that undergo processing to improve their digestibility have improved protein and other nutrient bioavailability... The processing used to produce commercially available protein concentrates and isolates makes it possible to inactivate up to 80% of the activity of trypsin inhibitors present in bean flour in its raw form.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple studies cited in the review.
Source
Plant-based food patterns to stimulate muscle protein synthesis and support muscle mass in humans: a narrative review
Sarah Nichele et al. · Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism · 2022
DOI 10.1139/apnm-2021-0806
narrative_reviewCited 53×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
Related findings · Macro partitioning
- Total daily protein intake of 1.6 g/kg/day is sufficient for maximizing resistance training-induced muscle gains, with an upper confidence interval of 2.2 g/kg/day.Strong
- Resistance exercise training combined with sufficient dietary protein intake acts synergistically to maximize skeletal muscle hypertrophy, with protein intake saturating around 1.6 g/kg/day for general populations and potentially requiring 2.0-2.2 g/kg/day for resistance-trained individuals.Strong
- Trans fats should be completely eliminated from the diet, as they increase LDL cholesterol, decrease HDL cholesterol, and are directly associated with increased coronary risk.Strong
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