Vegan protein source supports muscle growth just as well as animal protein
New research, published February 2023 in the Journal of Nutrition, revealed that fungi-derived mycoprotein (Quorn) is equally as effective when used to support muscle building as animal protein.
Two groups of eight people participated in the first part of the study, and both groups did leg exercises every day. One group, named OMNI1, ate a diet high in animal protein, while the other group, named VEG1, consumed a high protein diet from non-animal sources. Researchers then measured how much muscle protein was created during exercise and at rest.
In the second part of the study, 22 participants did a 10-week leg exercise program five days a week. As with the first part of the study, one group ate protein from animal sources (OMNI2) and the other ate protein from non-animal sources (VEG2).
Researchers measured the size of leg muscle, overall body muscle, body strength and function before, after, two weeks and five weeks into the study. The results showed that exercising the legs increased muscle protein production rate by around 12% compared to when the legs were at rest.
Muscle mass, fibre size and strength were similar between the groups despite the different protein sources.