Introduction

With veganism on the rise these days, it is only natural that some athletes would adopt

such a dietary and lifestyle choice. In fact, in recent years, numerous famous athletes have been

extolling the merits of their vegan diets, which has further fuelled the rise of veganism. With a

vegan diet, however, there is a conception that a “macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies”

may occur, a claim that some dismiss because “empirical research validating this claim is either

equivocal or missing” (Rogerson, 2017). This dietary debate has encroached upon the fitness

supplement industry, with both natural vegan protein supplements and whey protein supplements

vying for consumers’ consumption. As an athlete, muscle repair and recovery is of utmost

concern, with the consumer having to navigate the claims and science behind what vegan protein

and whey protein promise to deliver. For the athlete with little dietary constraints, this dilemma

remains a trivial issue; for the vegan, or those who suffer from dairy allergies, the efficacy of

vegan protein supplements is of utmost importance. In this literature review, therefore, the

research and findings claiming that vegan protein supplements are as effective as whey

supplements will be analyzed, for the findings will have considerable implications for a range of

athletes from the elite to the recreational, especially those who choose a vegan lifestyle.

Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS) From Rice Protein Versus Whey Protein

A recent study shows promising results for elite athletes who prefer to consume plant-

based proteins. In a prospective open-label pilot trial, Kalman, Escalante, Hewlings, and

Willoughby tested whether “adding whey or rice protein had an effect on body composition in

elite mixed martial art athletes undergoing intense training” (Kalman et al., 2018). In the study,

eleven men, 28 years in age, were given 75 grams of either whey protein isolate or rice protein
isolate per day for a six-week period, the length of the study, as they engaged in rigorous training

twice a day. For such athletes, as well as recreational athletes, building and maintaining muscle

mass is important for both training and recovery. Muscle growth occurs because of the balance

between MPS and muscle protein breakdown (MPB); increases in muscle occur when MPS is

greater than MPB. Body composition testing was done at baseline and at week six, with the

results showing that the two groups, those who ingested whey protein isolate and those who

ingested rice protein isolate, had similar body mass, body mass index, percent body fat, fat-free

mass and fat mass. While these findings are encouraging for those adopting a vegan diet, the

study could be improved to arrive at more conclusive findings. For example, because the study

did not adhere to a double-blind study, the participants were allowed to choose their supplements

of choice; the inclusion of a placebo would make the findings more compelling. Moreover, the

study seems to be a little short in duration, especially considering that veganism is often a

lifelong commitment. It would be interesting to see if the results would be similar if the study

were to be extended to a twelve month plus period. Finally, a greater number of participants

would have been more desirable to eliminate any anomalies that may occur in such a small study

group.

Amino Acid Concentrations

Another concern of athletes who use plant-based protein supplements is the amino acid

concentrations in the blood. In another promising study, however, where “comparative

concentration of individual amino acids, total amino acids (TAA), non-essential amino acids

(NEA) and essential amino acids (EAA) in the blood after the administration of Rice Protein

Isolate (RPI) compared to Whey Protein Isolate” were measured (Purpura et al., 2014). The
study was a double-blind crossover study, which involved 10 men, who were randomly assigned

the type of protein and given 48 grams of either RPI or WPI after an overnight fast of 12 hours.

To measure the levels of amino acids in the blood, blood was drawn immediately after the

protein isolates were ingested and every hour up to four hours later. After one week, the

participants switched the type of proteins they use, with the study concluding that “While RPI

elicited a 6.8% lower total amino acid concentration in the blood based on AUC compared to

WPI, the difference was not statistically significant” (Purpura, et al., 2014). The issues with this

study are the same of those in the previous study: small participant group and short duration of

the study. Furthermore, the negligible differences in total amino acids in the blood from the RPI

group is difficult to qualify and making this data more meaningful would be desirable.

Muscle Thickness Gains

In a more quantitative and qualitative study, muscle thickness and strength were

measured on participants who took either whey protein, vegetable pea protein, or a placebo. The

results should allay the concerns of athletes who prefer vegetable proteins. The size of the group

of participants was also substantially larger than the previous studies with 161 me between the

ages of 18 to 35 participating. They were given 25 grams of their respective formulas twice a day

during a 12-week period, with testing done at the start, mid, and endpoint of the study. The

results of the test showed that the pea protein supplement was as effective as the whey protein

supplement, with very little significance in thickness gain between the pea protein group and the

whey protein group. Similar results were reported for strength testing, showing statistically

insignificant differences between the pea and whey cohorts.

Body Composition and Exercise Performance

Similar to the previous study, an eight week randomized, double-blind study was

conducted “to determine if the post-exercise consumption of rice protein isolate could increase

recovery and elicit adequate changes in body composition compared to equally dosed whey

protein isolate if given in large, isocaloric doses” (Joy et al., 2013). 24 college-aged students

were chosen to participate in the study and they were divided into two groups with each

consuming 43 grams of either rice or whey protein supplements. During the eight week period,

the participants trained for three days per week, with the protein being consumed immediately

after training. Tests to determine composition were conducted at the start, at four weeks and

eight weeks. Performance was measured for upper and lower body strength. The conclusions, as

well, were similar to the previous studies: “Both whey and rice protein administration post

resistance exercise improved indices of body composition and exercise performance; however,

there were no differences between the two groups” (Joy et al., 2013).

Conclusion

In light of these findings, further research into the differences of various other factors

should be conducted, especially considering the rise of veganism. Despite these findings, there is

certain to be sceptics about the validity of the claims that plant based protein is as effective as

whey protein. In fact, the studies show that whey is superior for muscle growth, recovery, and

amino acids; however, these differences are negligible. Further studies should focus on the

implications of the differences between plant protein and whey protein. However, this research is

very important in light of the proliferation of athletes who prefer to fulfill their protein needs

through plant-based supplements.

 References

Babault, Nicolas, Paizis, Christos, Deley, Gaelle, Guerin-Deremaux, Laetitia, Saniez, Marie-

Helene, Lefran-Millot, Catherine, and Allaert, Francois A. (2015). “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, 12:3 DOI 10.1186/s12970-014-0064-5.

Joy, Jordan M., Lowery, Ryan P., Wilson, Jacob M., Purpura, Martin, De Souza, Eduardo O.,

Wilson, Stephanie M.C., Kalman, Douglas S., Dudeck, Joshua E., and Jager, Ralf (2013)

“The effects of 8 weeks of whey or rice protein supplementation on body composition

and exercise performance”. Nutrition Journal, 12:86.

Kalman, Douglas, Escalante, Hewlings, Susan J., and Willoughby, Darryn S. (2018). “The Body

Composition Effects of Extra Protein in Elite Mixed Martial Artists Undergoing Frequent

Training Over a Six-Week Period”. EC Nutrition 13.6: 396-401.

Purpura, M., Lowery, R.P., Joy, J.M., De Souza, E.O., Kalman, D.S., Jager, R., and Wilson, J.M.

(2014) “A Comparison of Blood Amino Acid Concentrations Following Ingestion of

Rice and Whey Protein Isolate: A Double-Blind Crossover Study”. Journal of Nutrition

and Health Science 1(3): 306.