According to a study, vegan protein promotes muscle building while resistance training just as effectively as animal protein. The study explored if a vegan diet high in mycoprotein, an alternative, nutritious protein source with a meat-like texture made from a naturally occurring fungus known as Fusarium venenatum, can promote resistance training muscle growth compared to an omnivorous diet.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.02.023
The randomized study was split into 2 phases, 16 healthy young individuals completed a 3-day diet in the 1st phase where their protein came from either exclusively vegan or omnivorous sources, while detailed metabolism measurements were recorded. In phase 2, 22 healthy young individuals completed a high-volume resistance training program over 10 weeks while they consumed a mycoprotein-rich vegan diet or an omnivorous diet high in protein.
The results revealed comparable muscle strength and mass increases from both diets, with no differences of significance between the 2. The omnivorous diet group gained 2.6 kg of lean body mass, while the vegan diet group gained 3.1 kg. The thigh muscles of both diet groups also increased by the same size over the duration of the study.
According to these results, it was concluded that a mycoprotein-rich vegan diet can be just as effective as an omnivorous diet high in protein for building muscle while resistance training.
While this study demonstrated mycoprotein’s potency in muscle building, other research has shown that mycoprotein is superior in building muscle compared to milk protein, and another study found that a vegan diet rich in mycoprotein supports muscle tissue maintenance in older individuals. This latest study however compared mycoprotein directly to an omnivorous diet that included meat over an extended period of 10 weeks.
It’s well known that building muscle can be improved by following a high protein diet. It was however unclear before as to whether protein derived from non-animal sources could support resistance training muscle building as well as omnivorous diets and protein derived from animal-derived sources.
This study shows that mycoprotein compares to animal proteins with regards to its ability to facilitate muscle strength and mass increases in young individuals who participate in resistance training regularly.
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