Are Vegan Protein Powders as Effective as Whey Protein?

Article Difficulty: Moderate

🕗 10 minute read

Summary

• No digestibility or bioavailability factors have shown any effect on muscle protein synthesis or hypertrophy gains in studies comparing vegan protein powder and whey protein powder.

• When consuming an equivalent amount of protein and essential amino acids (EAAs), vegan proteins and whey proteins have equivalent effects on muscle recovery and growth.

• Whey protein isolate contains 9.4% more protein, 20.1% more EAAs and 18.6% more branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), while vegan protein contains 2.8% more non-essential amino acids. 

• Consuming a 9.4% to 20% larger serving of vegan protein powder can counteract any amino acid differences between the products.

• Despite some differences in amino acid composition, research comparing vegan diets supplemented with vegan protein powder shows they are equivalent for building muscle as omnivorous diets supplemented with whey protein.

• Whey protein contains more potassium and calcium, while vegan protein contains more iron.

• Whey protein has higher cholesterol content, while vegan protein has more sodium.

• Vegan protein contains slightly more calories than whey protein (130 kcal vs. 119 kcal).

• Vegan proteins are generally $10-$15/kg less expensive than whey protein isolate.

Article

46% of North Americans now consume protein supplements due to their convenience and effectiveness. In recent years, more people have embraced plant-based diets, with 11% of North Americans now following vegan or vegetarian diets. As such, vegan protein powders are becoming increasingly popular each year. However, this has sparked debate as some consumers question whether vegan protein powders can truly match the benefits of whey protein. This article will explore whether vegan protein powders are as effective as whey for muscle repair and recovery. 

As most people supplement protein to assist with exercise recovery, this comparison article will primarily focus on the effects of protein powders on muscle protein synthesis, the process by which cells create new muscle proteins from amino acids to repair and hypertrophy (grow) muscle tissue. 

Understanding Proteins

Definition and Importance

To have an understanding of how different protein powders compare, understanding what proteins and amino acids are is crucial. Proteins are fundamental macromolecules composed of amino acids, serving as the building blocks of our bodies. They play crucial roles in muscle repair, immune function, enzyme activity, and overall health. Without adequate protein intake, our bodies would struggle to maintain muscle mass, repair tissues, and produce essential enzymes and hormones.

The functions of proteins in the body are diverse. They are vital for muscle repair and growth, especially for those engaged in regular physical activity. Proteins also contribute to the immune system by producing antibodies that fight off infections. Additionally, they are involved in various metabolic processes, including the breakdown of food and the transportation of nutrients. However, the primary reason why people supplement with protein powders is to assist with exercise recovery. Exercise increases the amount of dietary protein required to more than double the minimum requirement (read our blog here to learn more). This additional protein is needed to repair muscles and other tissues post-exercise.

Amino Acids: The Building Blocks

Essential vs. Non-Essential Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are categorized into essential and non-essential. Essential amino acids cannot be synthesized by the body and must be obtained through diet, while non-essential amino acids can be produced by the body. For muscle growth and exercise recovery, all amino acids are important. However, particular emphasis is placed on the essential amino acids (EAAs), especially the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine, isoleucine, and valine, which are crucial for stimulating muscle protein synthesis and repair when consumed in conjunction with other amino acids.

Research

Whole Foods - Animal Based Proteins Vs. Vegan Proteins

Before examining protein powders, it’s worth reviewing the research on plant foods versus animal foods for muscle recovery and repair, as this is the origin of the powdered supplements themselves.

When comparing plant foods and animal foods for building muscle, some research indicates that animal foods are superior for stimulating muscle protein synthesis when matched for protein quantity with vegan proteins (1). Three reasons are often presented for this difference:

1. Digestibility: The body's ability to break down and absorb the foods.
2. Bioavailability: The amount of amino acids absorbed into the blood during digestion.
3. Amino Acid Content: The quantity of amino acids within the protein source.

A very recent study by Pinckaers and colleagues compared the effects of consuming a whole-food meal containing lean ground beef with those of a whole-food vegan meal that had the same amount of protein and calories in a randomized, cross-over trial. On one test day, participants ate a meal with beef as the primary protein source, while on another day, they consumed the vegan meal. Muscle and blood samples were collected to analyze amino acid levels and muscle protein synthesis rates over six hours. The findings revealed that the beef meal resulted in significantly higher levels of essential amino acids in the blood and a 47% increase in muscle protein synthesis compared to the vegan meal. This study highlights that although the protein content may be the same, vegan proteins may be less digestible and bioavailable than animal foods. This is generally attributed to the fibrous nature of plant foods, which reduces and slows the digestibility and bioavailability of the amino acids within plant-based proteins. 

Muscle Protein Synthesis isn't everything

The results above may not be significant in real world terms for recovering and building muscle mass, as these are lab-based blood tests rather than actual muscle hypertrophy tests (i.e, just because blood testing and biopsy show indicators of increase muscle protein synthesis, this doesn't mean you'll actually build more muscle in reality as there are numerous other factors). And when actual muscle growth studies have been conducted using prolonged resistance training protocols, no difference has been found (2, 3). This is either due to the muscle protein synthesis differences being too small to have a real world effect, or, that the plant-based diets are improving exercise performance and recovery factors outside of muscle protein synthesis. Bear in mind that muscle protein synthesis tests do not account for the positive health effects of plant foods themselves, such as digestion, vitamin and mineral content, hydration, blood lipid effects, and anti inflammatory properties. To this end, some research has shown that vegan diets improve endurance and strength more than animal diets due to these factors outside of muscle protein synthesis (4). There’s much more to athletic performance than just muscle protein synthesis, and if interested in comparing the physiological benefits of the different diets check out this (article). 

Nevertheless, there are two main reasons for differences in muscle protein synthesis after consumption of animal and plant-based foods:

• In most research, foods are protein-matched but not amino acid-matched; animal foods typically contain higher levels of essential amino acids (EAAs) and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).

• Plant foods are rich in fiber, which impacts the digestibility and absorption of some proteins. Some researchers have recommended consuming slightly more protein on a fully plant-based diet to account for less efficient digestion and lower EAA and BCAA density of plant proteins (3). 

However, this article is about protein powders! With vegan protein powders, any potential digestibility or bioavailability concerns are significantly mitigated by the production process, which refines, purifies, and concentrates the vegan protein source, removing indigestible components and dramatically increasing the amino acid content compared to whole plant foods. So while many of the whole plant-food benefits are removed, what's left is a very pure protein source, which makes for a much more easier comparison for muscle protein synthesis than whole foods. As there are fewer nutritional components outside of the protein itself contributing to the effect of muscle repair and growth. 

Recent research has been conducted to test whether plant-based protein powders are as effective as whey protein powders for stimulating muscle protein synthesis and building muscle.

A very recent study by Van Der Heijden and colleagues (6) compared the effects of a plant-based protein blend and whey protein on muscle protein synthesis after resistance exercise. Ten resistance-trained young adults (8 men, 2 women; average age 26) consumed 32 grams of either whey protein or a plant-based blend (39.5% pea, 39.5% brown rice, 21.0% canola) after leg exercises. There was no significant difference between muscle protein synthesis rates between both protein sources during the 0-2 hour and 2-4 hour post-ingestion periods. This study identifies that if whole food vegan sources stimulate muscle protein synthesis to a lesser extent than animal foods, it is not the case with vegan protein powders.

Further support from three muscle growth studies:

• Lynch and colleagues (7) compared soy and whey protein supplements over 12 weeks of resistance training, finding similar increases in body mass, lean mass, and strength when both proteins were matched for leucine content. No significant differences were observed between the two groups, suggesting soy and whey support muscle and strength gains equally.

• In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial by Babault and colleagues (8), healthy men underwent 12 weeks of resistance training and were divided into three protein-supplemented groups: whey protein, pea protein, or placebo. Both groups increased muscle gain compared to the placebo, and no significant difference was obtained between the whey and vegan protein groups.

• Lastly, Hevia-Larraín and colleagues (9) studied the effects of a plant-based versus mixed diet on muscle mass and strength during resistance training. Both vegan and omnivorous participants showed similar increases in leg lean mass, muscle cross-sectional area, and strength after 12 weeks, provided protein intake was adjusted to 1.6 g/kg/day. 

Research Summary

Therefore, the research consistently shows that vegan protein powders are as effective for building muscle as whey protein powders when matched for protein content and certain essential amino acids. A key distinction made in the above research, however, is that the powders are protein-matched and in some research, amino acid-matched also. Therefore, to make a true comparison between the protein powders, the nutritional information and amino acid profiles of the products must be analyzed. 

Nutritional Information: Vegan Protein Powder Vs. Whey Protein 

Ok, so now let’s get to the nitty-gritty and compare the actual nutritional and amino acid profiles of the Vegan Protein Powder and Whey Protein Isolate Powder. Note that whey isolate is a superior product in many ways compared to its cheaper counterpart, whey concentrate. Keep this in mind throughout this comparison, as whey concentrate generally contains slightly less protein and more carbohydrates and fats. (To learn more about the difference between concentrate and isolate, read our blog here). 

Direct Nutritional Comparison

Here is the nutritional profile comparison of Vegan Protein Powder and Whey Protein Isolate. For this comparison, we've used our protein powders (Thrive Plant-Based Protein which is a blend of pea, rice and hemp proteins, and Thrive Natural Whey Protein Isolate for a non biased analysis)

Nutritional Comparison, Pros and Cons: Vegan Protein Vs. Whey Protein

Plant-Based Protein

Pros:

• High Iron: Provides 6 mg of iron per serving (33% RDA), significantly more than whey options.

• Low in Cholesterol: Contains 0 mg of cholesterol, which is beneficial for heart health.

• Cost: Vegan protein is typically around $10-15/kg cheaper than good quality whey protein isolate.

Cons:

• Higher Sodium: Contains 350 mg (15% RDA) of sodium per serving, which may be high for some individuals, however, those exercising and sweating typically require more sodium thus this is negligible.

• Slightly Lower Protein: Offers 24 grams of protein per serving, slightly less than Whey Protein Isolate's 25.4g

• Lower Potassium and Calcium: 

Whey Protein Isolate

Pros:

• Slightly Higher Protein: Provides 25.6 grams of protein per 32g serving (9.4%). 

• Lower Calories: Has 117 calories per serving vs 130 kcals from the vegan protein.

• Lower Fat: Contains only 1 gram of fat per serving, compared with 2.5g in the vegan protein. 

• Higher Calcium and Potassium: Provides 240 mg of potassium per serving (5% RDA)

Cons:

• Higher Cholesterol: Contains 38 mg (13% RDA) of cholesterol, which might be a concern for some individuals

Bottom Line

The bottom line is that despite some small differences, such as 13 more kcals per serving in the plant-protein, generally speaking from a nutritional standpoint is that the two are extremely similar, and would make little difference from a macronutrient perspective.

Now let’s analyze the structural make-up of the protein contained within each product by looking the amino acid profile.

Comparing Vegan Protein Vs Whey Protein Amino Acid Profiles

As mentioned previously, research focuses on certain EAAs because they are crucial for stimulating and allowing muscle protein synthesis. Once broken down into amino acids, all proteins function similarly in the body. Therefore, by comparing the amino acid contents of the protein powders, we can assess their relative effectiveness in supporting muscle growth and repair.

Essential Amino Acids

Non-Essential Amino Acids

Whey Protein Isolate:

• 20.1% higher in EAAs

• 18.6% higher in BCAAs

Plant-Based Protein:

• 2.8% more total non-essential amino acids: 

Bottom line:

As essential amino acids are considered the most important for muscle growth and repair, the whey protein isolate does have an advantage over the plant-based protein when matched for total protein content. To get the same total EAA's as the whey, you would have to consume a 20.1% larger serving of the vegan protein blend. Therefore, a 38g scoop would provide equivilant EAAs as a 32g scoop of whey protein isolate. 

In a practical sense, unless you’re planning on competing in bodybuilding at a professional level, or living on a diet of only protein powder, these amino acid disparities would make little difference in a real world context. 

However, amino acid content and nutritional information is relatively insignificant for most people, compared to other more major factors when deciding between the proteins. 

Other Factors:

One key difference between whey and vegan proteins is digestibility. Whey protein is not easily digested by a proportion of the population, as up to 44% of canadians report symptoms of lactose intolerance. This can lead to digestive issues such as bloating, and gas. 

Cost

Vegan proteins are generally around $10-15/kg cheaper than whey protein isolate, and the cost of whey protein production in Canada continues to increase. Whey concentrate is a similar cost to vegan proteins, but has an inferior nutritional profile to whey isolate. 

Taste and Texture

Taste is an important consideration, and people's preferences vary on which protein they prefer. Whey protein is often sweeter, resembling a milkshake or flavored milk, making it a popular choice for those with a sweet tooth. On the other hand, vegan proteins tend to have a slightly more earthy flavor, a thicker viscosity, are less sweet, and often taste healthier. While both options can help curb cravings, vegan proteins generally keep you fuller for longer due to their more substantial texture.

Environmental and ethical considerations

Whey protein is derived from dairy and has a higher environmental impact due to the resources needed for dairy farming and associated greenhouse gas emissions. It also raises ethical concerns related to animal welfare. Plant-based protein powders, in contrast, generally have a lower environmental footprint and fewer ethical issues, as they do not involve animal farming and are more sustainable in terms of resource use and emissions.

Dispelling concerns surrounding vegan protein powders

Myth: Vegan proteins are all incomplete

A complete protein contains all nine essential amino acids in sufficient quantities. Vegan proteins often come under scrutiny, with some people claiming, "they don’t provide all the amino acids." While this may be true for certain plant proteins in isolation, it is not the case for all plant proteins, and certainly not for vegan protein blends (such as pea, rice, and hemp mixes). The main protein used in vegan protein powders is pea protein. Contrary to popular belief, pea protein does have a complete amino acid profile. Some claim that pea protein is an incomplete protein, lacking the essential amino acid methionine. However, when examining the amino acid profile of pea protein, this is clearly not the case, as a 35g scoop of pea protein contains 300mg of methionine (over 25% of the RDA in a single scoop). Nonetheless, most vegan protein products blend various proteins to achieve a more balanced amino acid profile. I’ve included this information because it's common to hear that people avoid vegan proteins due to the misconception that they are incomplete, which isn't true—unless you're consuming a diet consisting of only one type of plant food in isolation. 

Myth: Vegan proteins have poor bioavailability

Concerns about bioavailability and digestibility of vegan protein powders, including the role of anti-nutrients, have not led to significant differences in muscle protein synthesis compared to whey. If any differences in digestibility and bioavailability exist, they do not impact muscle development when amino acid content is matched and therefore they have no significance. 

Conclusion

So, Are Vegan Protein Powders as Effective as Whey Protein?

In a real-world context, yes. Although there are small differences in the nutritional and amino acid profiles of the two products, these differences are not significant enough to substantially impact muscle recovery and growth. Furthermore, research comparing the two protein powders shows no significant effect on muscle recovery and growth post-exercise. Therefore, the choice comes down to personal preference. If there are concerns about the slightly lower amino acid levels in the vegan protein powder, increasing the serving size by 9.4% provides the equivalent protein content of whey isolate, and increasing it by 20.1% gives the same EAA amount. 

 

About the Author:

Joe is a certified personal trainer, strength and conditioning coach, and nutrition coach. While studying sport and exercise science, Joe's main focus has been on human physiology and performance. Joe has helped numerous clients achieve their health and fitness goals by applying research into practice to support their physical and overall well-being.

 

References:

1. Pinckaers, Philippe JM, et al. "Higher muscle protein synthesis rates following ingestion of an omnivorous meal compared with an isocaloric and isonitrogenous vegan meal in healthy, older adults." The Journal of nutrition 154.7 (2024): 2120-2132.
2. Hannaian, Sarkis J., and Tyler A. Churchward-Venne. "Meatless Muscle Growth: Building Muscle Size and Strength on a Mycoprotein-Rich Vegan Diet." The Journal of Nutrition 153.6 (2023): 1665-1667.
3. Ciuris, C., et al. "A comparison of dietary protein digestibility, based on DIAAS scoring, in vegetarian and non-vegetarian athletes. Nutrients, 11, 3016." (2019).
4. Monteyne, Alistair J., et al. "Vegan and omnivorous high protein diets support comparable daily myofibrillar protein synthesis rates and skeletal muscle hypertrophy in young adults." The Journal of Nutrition 153.6 (2023): 1680-1695.
5. Pohl, Alexander, et al. "The impact of vegan and vegetarian diets on physical performance and molecular signaling in skeletal muscle." Nutrients 13.11 (2021): 3884.
6. van der Heijden, Ino, et al. "Plant Protein Blend Ingestion Stimulates Post-Exercise Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis Rates Equivalently to Whey in Resistance-Trained Adults." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2024).
7. Lynch, Heidi M., et al. "No significant differences in muscle growth and strength development when consuming soy and whey protein supplements matched for leucine following a 12 week resistance training program in men and women: a randomized trial." International journal of environmental research and public health 17.11 (2020): 3871.
8. Babault, Nicolas, et al. "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 (2015): 1-9.
9. Hevia-Larraín, Victoria, et al. "High-protein plant-based diet versus a protein-matched omnivorous diet to support resistance training adaptations: a comparison between habitual vegans and omnivores." Sports Medicine 51 (2021): 1317-1330.
10. 2023 Food and Health Survey International Food Information Council 
11. Maykish, Adeline. (2021). Comparison of Animal Versus Plant-Based Protein Supplementation to Nitrogen Balance in Female College Students.