Why Your Muscles Don't Care About Your Protein Type
Photo by César Hernández on Unsplash
Think plant protein is inferior to animal protein? Think again. In fact plant-rich protein options can help boost your health so you can perform better, longer. Plant proteins also contain all 20 amino acids.
The truth is: Your muscles only care about having the necessary building blocks to get strong. That means it’s much more important to get enough protein than to worry about where it came from. That said, here’s a no-BS (we’re talking ‘bro science’) look at what actually happens when protein enters your body.
How Your Body Processes Protein
When you consume any protein source—whether it's a steak or bowl of lentils—your digestive system breaks it down into basic building blocks known as amino acids.
This happens through:
Digestion: Your stomach acid and enzymes break the protein into peptides (a short chain of amino acids).
Absorption: These peptides and amino acids are absorbed in your small intestine.
Distribution: Your bloodstream carries these amino acids to your muscles and other tissues, delivering needed nutrients.
Utilization: Your body uses these amino acids for muscle repair and growth.
It’s important to note that your body doesn't separate plant amino acids from animal amino acids. There's just one amino acid pool your body draws from whenever it needs to synthesize protein.
What About “Incomplete” Proteins?
A common argument against plant proteins is that they're "incomplete" because they don't contain all nine essential amino acids in sufficient quantities. While it's true some individual plant foods don't have optimal amounts of all essential amino acids, this argument falls apart for two reasons:
Many plant proteins are complete: Soy, quinoa, buckwheat, hemp seeds, and chia seeds all contain all nine essential amino acids in decent proportions.
You don't need to get all amino acids in a single meal: Your body maintains its amino acid pool throughout the day. As long as you consume various protein sources throughout the day, you'll get all the amino acids you need.
Plant Protein Advantages
Plant proteins offer several health advantages over animal-protein sources:
Better Nutrient Package
Plant proteins tend to be loaded with fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals, and have less saturated fat and cholesterol than animal proteins. This means improved digestion, reduced inflammation, and better long-term health.
Easier Recovery
Plant proteins create less metabolic-acid load than animal proteins, which means your body doesn't have to work as hard to maintain pH balance. This can translate to better recovery between workouts.
Get the Most from Plant Protein
If your goal is to maximize muscle gains while relying more on plant proteins:
Aim for higher total protein intake: Shoot for 1.6 to 2.0g of protein per kg of bodyweight daily to help ensure you're getting enough essential amino acids.
Diversify your protein sources: Mix legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, and vegetables to create complementary amino acid profiles.
Consider leucine content: Leucine is important for muscle protein synthesis and plants like soybeans, edamame, and lentils pack more leucine than other plant-protein sources.
Time your protein intake: Spread your protein consumption throughout the day, with 20-40g per meal to maximize muscle protein synthesis.
Use high-quality plant protein supplements: Pea protein isolate, rice protein, and soy protein isolate are all excellent options with amino acid profiles that rival whey.
