According to a joint study by Roquette and the University of Burgundy in France, pea protein supplements are comparable to whey protein in increasing biceps thickness. The study selected 161 men aged 18-25 to perform resistance training for twelve weeks. The participants’ diets were randomly supplemented with pea protein or whey protein, and the results showed that the two increased the thickness of the biceps about the same.
Researchers believe that pea protein consumption can promote biceps growth, especially in people who are novices or re-weight training. According to statistics, whey protein and pea protein products have advantages for different athletes compared to placebo. Other customer groups may also be interested in these proteins, such as reducing the aging process and maintaining muscle mass.
Pea protein isolate is popular with product manufacturers because it offers clean-label, allergy-free ingredients, and pea protein costs less than other proteins. In addition, pea protein has also received attention in the field of sports nutrition because it is rich in lysine, arginine, and branched-chain amino acids. Pea protein contains approximately 8.7% arginine. Arginine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid because of its limited rate of synthesis. It is involved in nitrogen metabolism during growth and cell division, and arginine is also a precursor to creatine.
In this double-blind, randomized, controlled study, the researchers recruited 161 young men, randomly divided into three groups: whey protein group, pea protein group and placebo group, and each received 12 weeks of resistance training . Participants took protein (whey or peas) or a placebo twice a day in 25-gram doses. The results showed that all three groups benefited from resistance training, with no significant differences overall. However, when the researchers focused only on the weakest participant in each group, the pea protein group and the placebo group produced significantly different effects, increasing by 20.2% and 8.6%, respectively, while the whey group saw an average increase of 15.6%. But the difference between the whey and pea groups had not yet reached a significant degree. The researchers believe that the lack of significant differences between pea protein and whey may be due to the similarity in amino acid content, rather than similar digestibility. The digestive activity of whey protein is very fast, which in turn can produce large amounts of plasma amino acids quickly after ingestion, but this effect is very short-lived, returning to normal levels within 2-3 hours. The utility of Nutralys is relatively in the middle, assuming that the amino acid content in the plasma increases rapidly after ingestion, so it can easily and long-term participate in muscle protein synthesis in the body.
The researchers also said that because there was no significant difference between the two groups, vegetable pea protein could replace whey as a basic dietary product. Also, muscle strength increased in each group over time, but there was no significant difference between the groups. For athletes, pea protein may also be an option over whey, as it has a similar effect on muscle as whey protein. In addition, for older people with sarcopenia, appropriate physical activity and a special and appropriate diet may be used, and pea protein isolate can be part of the diet, but the effect needs more research to be tested. confirmed.
Another bright spot is that the production process of pea protein is environmentally friendly, which is critical in today’s global ecology. In addition, the “hypoallergenic” and “GMO-free” properties of pea protein differentiate it from the global vegetable protein market. With a number of positive factors, coupled with continued technological and functional development, pea protein is currently at a very promising stage of development.