When you hear “a good source of protein,” what foods come to mind? A boneless, skinless chicken breast? A medium-rare prime rib? A cup of Greek yogurt sprinkled with chopped almonds? What about yellow peas?
It might not be your first thought, but pea protein is an excellent choice for anyone who wants the benefits of protein supplementation but prefers plant-based products. Find out why we use pea protein our protein supplements — and how choosing plant-based protein won’t change your gains and goals.
5 nutritional benefits of pea protein
The humble pea is actually a protein powerhouse, and that’s only part of its appeal. Here are some of the nutritional benefits of pea protein.
1. Aids in muscle repair and growth
You probably know the basics of how muscles are built: Exercise (strength training, in particular) causes damage to muscle tissue. In the repair process, muscles grow stronger and larger in size. In short, exercise is the stimulus, and adequate nutrition, specifically protein, is key to adaptation.
“Pea protein helps build muscle by providing the building blocks (amino acids) that muscles need to repair and rebuild after exercise,” says BODi Principal Scientist Paul Falcone. Having a shake or pea protein shake after your workout or between meals can help you meet your daily protein needs.*
The formulation of vegetable origin Beachbody Performance Recovery uses pea protein as the main protein source, providing 20 grams of protein per serving. It also contains essential amino acids, so called because the body does not make them and they must be provided by food. These essential amino acids also include branched chain amino acids (BCAAs).
2. Helps improve performance
Falcone says the benefits of consuming pea protein can be cumulative. With consistent nutrition as well as training and recovery, you will likely notice a significant difference in your workouts.
“Pea protein after exercise also helps improve performance, because you can get stronger over time if you’re giving your body what it needs to recover properly,” says Falcone.*
3. Suitable for vegans and dairy-free
As noted above, incorporating a protein shake or shake into your routine can aid in muscle recovery. But for people on a vegan or dairy-free diet, protein supplements containing whey and casein (most available powders and prepackaged drinks) are not an option.
Because pea protein is completely plant-based, it’s a comparable, dairy-free alternative to animal protein powders that’s also vegan.
4. Excellent source of iron
iron it is essential to maintain healthy blood. However, it can be difficult to meet your daily intake requirements, especially if you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. They exclude sources of the more bioavailable heme iron found in animal foods such as meat, poultry and seafood.
Peas and other legumes are naturally good sources of iron, making pea protein a worthy choice for anyone looking to increase their iron intake. A portion of Beachbody Performance plant-based recovery contains 5 mg of iron, which is more than half of recommended daily value for men and about 25 percent for women.
5. It can help keep you satisfied
Do you want to maintain or lose weight? The key is to find the right balance between feeling full and not exceeding your daily caloric needs. research shows that consuming protein can help provide longer-lasting satiety, making snacking between meals less appealing and compared to other protein sources, studies have found that pea protein can be just as effective at staving off hunger.*
Why we use pea protein
According to Falcone, BODi’s choice to use pea protein for our vegan protein supplements is based on the unique chemical composition of pea protein.
“We chose pea protein because it provides leucine (a BCAA) and a wide range of other essential amino acids in amounts that can help support post-exercise recovery,” he says. “Research indicates that leucine and essential amino acid content is extremely important when choosing protein sources for muscle building and exercise performance.”*
Does pea protein work for muscle gain?
When combined with a consistent resistance training routine, a healthy diet, and adequate rest and recovery, pea protein can help you gain muscle mass, strength, and power.
“Pea protein provides essential amino acids, which are building blocks needed to help muscles rebuild and repair,” says Falcone. “Leucine is a particularly important essential amino acid because it enhances the molecular signal for muscle to rebuild itself, while also being a building block.”
In fact, pea protein can be just as effective in helping you gain muscle as some of the most commonly used supplements on the market. Falcone points to to study at Lipscomb University in which researchers compared pea protein to whey protein, “an animal protein that’s considered the gold standard for building muscle,” he says.
“The young men and women in the study underwent eight weeks of a high-intensity functional training protocol. Both pea and whey protein produced similar results in measures of strength and muscle mass, which which suggests that pea may be as effective as whey in conjunction with a HIIT protocol.”*
*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.
