Many believe that in order to build strength and gain strength and muscle mass, it is important to consume animal protein. A new Brazilian study shows that there is no difference between vegans and omnivores in terms of muscle mass and strength.
Adopting a vegan diet does not prevent you from increasing your strength and muscle mass
Adopting a vegan diet (which excludes all animal products) does not prevent you from increasing your strength and muscle mass. This is the observation made by Brazilian researchers from the University of São Paulo in a new study, the results of which were published in the journal Sports Medicine.
To reach this conclusion, the scientists followed 38 healthy young people. Half of them were vegan (diet based on plant protein only) and the other half were omnivorous (diet combining both animal and plant protein). Regardless of the participants’ diet, they were all following the recommended protein content equivalent to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. All the participants were subjected to muscle training for a period of 4 months. After three months, the researchers found that there was no difference between vegans and omnivores in terms of muscle strength and increased mass.
A question of quantity and not of protein sources
While foods of animal origin have a higher protein content, it is still possible to increase strength and muscle mass by adopting a plant-based diet. Indeed, the study emphasizes that the protein intake prevails over the protein source. In other words, it is the quantity of proteins absorbed which makes it possible to trigger the anabolic stimulation of the muscles and therefore to have an effect on strength and muscle mass as explained by Professor Roschel, author of the study: “ Our results show that there is no alteration in muscle mass gain in young adult vegans if they ingest the right amount of protein. In fact, the outcome of the two regimes was the same in this regard. “.
