When you hear the words “good source of protein,” what foods come to mind? Boneless, skinless chicken breast? Medium rare prime rib? A cup of Greek yogurt sprinkled with chopped almonds? What about yellow peas?
It may not be the first time you’ve thought of it, but pea protein is an excellent option for those who want the benefits of protein supplementation but prefer plant-based products. Find out why we use pea protein in our protein supplements, and how choosing plant-based protein won’t change your results or goals right away.
5 Nutritional Benefits of Pea Protein
Peas are actually a great source of protein, and that’s only part of their appeal. Here are some nutritional benefits of pea protein.
1. Helps muscle repair and growth
You probably know the basics of how muscle is built. Exercise (especially strength training) damages muscle tissue. During the repair process, muscles become stronger and increase in size. So exercise is a stimulus and proper nutrition, especially protein, is the key to adaptation.
“Pea protein helps build muscle because it provides the building blocks (amino acids) needed for muscle repair and rebuilding after exercise,” says Paul Falcone, principal scientist at BODi. . Drinking a pea protein shake or smoothie after a workout or between meals can help meet your daily protein needs. *
Beachbody Performance Recover’s plant-based formula utilizes pea protein as its primary protein source, delivering 20 grams of protein per serving. It also contains essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are so called because they cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from food. These essential amino acids also include branched chain amino acids (BCAAs).
2. Helps improve performance
Falcone reports that the benefits of consuming pea protein can be cumulative. Continually refueling, training and recovering can make a meaningful difference in your workouts.
“Pea protein after a workout can also help support performance, because if you give your body what it needs to recover properly, you can get stronger over time,” says Falcone. .
3. Vegan and dairy-free
As mentioned above, incorporating protein shakes and smoothies into your daily routine can aid muscle recovery. However, for vegans or those following a dairy-free diet, protein supplements containing whey or casein (most of the readily available powders and ready-made drinks) are not an option.
Because pea protein is completely plant-based, it’s a dairy-free alternative to animal-based protein powders and is also suitable for vegans.
4. Excellent source of iron
Iron is essential for keeping your blood healthy. However, meeting the daily intake requirements can be difficult, especially if you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. They exclude more bioavailable sources of heme iron found in animal foods such as meat, poultry, and seafood.
Peas and other legumes are good sources of natural iron, making pea protein a valuable option for those looking to increase their iron intake. Each serving of Beachbody Performance Plant-Based Recover contains 5 mg of iron, which is more than half of the daily recommended intake for men and about 25 percent for women.
5. Helps you stay satisfied
Want to maintain or lose weight? The key is finding the right balance between feeling full and not exceeding your daily calorie needs. Research shows that consuming protein can help you feel fuller longer, making snacking less appealing, and compared to other protein sources, pea protein is just as effective at suppressing hunger. We know that*.
Why use pea protein?
According to Falcone, BODi’s choice to utilize pea protein in its vegan protein supplement is based on pea protein’s unique chemical structure.
“We chose pea protein because it contains amounts of leucine (BCAAs) and a wide range of other essential amino acids to support post-workout recovery,” he says. “Research shows that leucine and essential amino acid content are very important when choosing protein sources for muscle building and athletic performance.”*
Is pea protein effective for muscle building?
When combined with a consistent resistance training routine, healthy diet, and proper rest and recovery, pea protein can help you gain muscle mass, strength, and power.
“Pea protein provides essential amino acids, the building blocks needed to help rebuild and repair muscle,” says Falcone. “Leucine is a particularly important essential amino acid because it both strengthens and is a building block for the molecular signals to rebuild muscle.”
In fact, pea protein, like the most commonly used supplements on the market, may be as effective in helping you gain muscle. Falcone points to a Lipscomb University study in which researchers compared pea protein to whey protein, “an animal-based protein considered the gold standard for muscle building.”
“The young men and women who participated in the study underwent an eight-week high-intensity functional training protocol. Both pea and whey protein produced similar results on measures of strength and muscle mass, and pea This suggests that it may be as effective as whey when used in conjunction with.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
