In the realm of diet and nutrition, it is common to hear people discuss fats versus carbohydrates. Mainstream media and social media influencers love to push diets that are either low-carb or low-fat and often condemn those with differing opinions. While either of these methods can be effective for weight loss, both camps seem to put protein on the backburner. For me, the intake of high-quality protein is the keystone of my diet, supplemented by fats and carbohydrates from whole food sources.
While the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 0.8 g/kg/day, which equates to around 50 g of protein daily for the average sized adult, I aim for 1 g/lb/day instead. For me, this is around 200 g of protein every day. Why so much? To maintain or build muscles mass, the rate of muscle protein synthesis must be equal to or greater than the rate of muscle protein degradation. These rates depend of many factors, one of which is net protein balance, a number highly influenced by dietary protein intake. So to maintain muscle, which is critical for athletic performance as well as metabolic health, you need to get enough protein. But is all protein created equal?
Dietary protein is achieved through the intake of animal-based or plant-based protein. Common examples of animal-based protein are red meats, eggs, milk, casein, and whey. Common plant-based proteins include black beans, lentils, soy protein isolate, and peanut butter. Most people believe that animal-based and plant-based protein are interchangeable when it comes to meeting a daily protein goal, but this is not the case. There are two reasons that animal-based protein is superior to plant-based protein.
We’re going to get into the weeds a little bit here, so skip to the bottom for a TL:DR. If you want to really get into the weeks, check out this paper!
First, animal-based protein is easier for the body to digest, leading to improved bioavailability. This can be measured by the protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS). This score measures the protein’s ability to meet the body’s amino acid requirements. As an example, the PDCAAS of red meat is 92 compared to 75 for black beans or 45 for peanut butter.
Second, animal-based protein has a higher content of essential amino acids. A metric called the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) is used to account for the amino acid content of different protein sources and can give insight into the limiting amino acids for different protein sources. Notably, plant-based proteins have a much lower leucine content. Leucine is particularly important for its function as an anabolism regulator. An appropriate concentration of leucine is necessary to stimulate protein synthesis and inhibit protein degradation.
If your goal is to maintain or build muscle, it will be easier to achieve this through the intake of animal-based proteins. If you do prefer plant-based proteins, this is not the end of the world. Just realize that you will have to consume approximately 25% more protein to meet your essential amino acid needs. If you are having trouble getting enough protein intake every day, try sneaking in a protein shake as a snack, or drink your coffee with collagen protein instead of creamer. And don’t forget to go out and train to stimulate that muscle protein synthesis.
TL:DR: Animal based protein is higher quality than plant based protein due to improved digestibility and a better essential amino acid profile.
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