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Short Summary
Main recommendation: For building muscle, total daily protein at about 1.6 g per kg of body weight (0.7 g per pound) matters more than whether that protein is animal or plant-based, provided resistance training is consistent. The speakers note that gram for gram, animal proteins are generally higher quality, but two 12-week studies found vegan groups kept pace with omnivores when total protein was adequate. They caution that these studies used mostly untrained subjects, so results for highly trained athletes remain uncertain.
Key Points
- Animal proteins are generally higher quality gram for gram: more essential amino acids, more leucine, and greater muscle protein synthesis in most head-to-head literature.
- Aragon cites a meta-analysis comparing whey and soy that found no staggering anabolic difference, though he notes whey still held a slight edge in individual studies.
- Aragon notes a 2015 study found pea protein outperformed whey for increasing muscle thickness, but says that result has not been replicated and he was surprised/skeptical of it.
- In a 12-week study by Lynch and colleagues, a fully vegan group (soy-supplemented) and an omnivore group, both eating 1.6 g/kg protein and matched calories, showed no significant differences in muscle size or strength gains.
- A later 12-week study by Montenegro and colleagues used mycoprotein (a fungus-based protein, sold commercially as Quorn) for the vegan group and found similar results.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions: Aim for total daily protein of about 1.6 g per kg of body weight (0.7 g per pound), combined with a progressive resistance training program. If you choose a fully plant-based diet, the study suggests you can use soy protein supplementation or mycoprotein to reach that total. Huberman suggests that if sleep-deprived one can still train to offset some inflammation, but not more than one to two days per week, ideally, with good sleep plus training being best.
- The vegan diet in the Lynch study had significantly less essential amino acid and branched-chain amino acid content, yet resistance training appeared to make protein source almost secondary.
- Speakers note that neither study measured satiety or diet satisfaction, which matters for long-term adherence to a plant-based diet.
- Both studies used mostly untrained subjects, who gain muscle quickly from any training ("newbie gains"), which may mask differences between protein types. Highly trained athletes were not studied.
- Aragon notes mycoprotein outperformed milk protein for muscle protein synthesis in an acute study that preceded the longitudinal trial, and mentions it is expensive.
Bottom Line
Protein source appears less decisive than total protein intake and training consistency for muscle gain in typical trainees, though animal protein may still hold an edge when elite performance is at stake, and the speakers say more research on highly trained athletes is needed.
