Protein Powders for Veggies?

Do vegetarian and/or vegans need to supplement?

Well obviously they do not have to. So maybe the question should be, would some vegetarians or vegans who want to increase their sporting performance gain benefit from supplementing their diet with protein powders? Well, this is a very difficult question to answer because optimal protein intake can be hard to define. Recently higher protein intakes have been recommended for athletes (or those partaking in lots of exercise, especially resistance training) above the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), and importantly Phillips et al., (2016) explains this is safe for individuals with normal renal function who consume adequate calcium. The RDA for protein is 0.8g/kg/day which is based on nitrogen balance equations however Phillips et al., (2016) suggests athletes should seek protein intakes to optimize adaptation to training. Strength and power athletes appear to benefit from protein intakes as much as 2× the RDA (Slater and Phillips 2011; Stellingwerff et al., 2011).

Interestingly there are further benefits of ingesting an even higher protein intake in the range of 2-2.5g/kg/day when in an energy deficit. Longland et al., (2016) showed a very high protein diet will be more protective to losses in lean mass than a moderately high diet of 1.2g/kg/day during a 40% energy deficit (which is a large energy deficit). However, the problem that then arrives is how do I fit all this protein into my very limited energy budget, especially if I am a vegetarian/vegan!! Plus, any vegetarian or vegan who has tracked their diet would know that hitting these high totals protein goals requires a lot of chewing.

It is clear from Table 1 that plant based protein sources have a far greater caloric burden than both animal sources and protein powders. This provides a rationale for vegan/vegetarian athletes wanting to achieve an optimal protein intake to gain benefit from vegan/vegetarian protein powders because:

  1. They have a reduced caloric burden. Which allows you more space in your diet for other important foods like fruits, vegetables and wholegrains.
  2. Unlike whole plant foods are not packaged with fibre. Although fibre is an important part of our diet (especially for our microbiome), high fibre foods (such as plant based proteins) increases the feeling of satiety and slow gastric empting, thereby increasing the feeling of fullness (Anderson et al., 1994).

So, protein powders may be a reasonable option to help vegetarians or vegans overcome the feeling of fullness, aiding them in consuming a high protein intake.

Nutri

Table 1

Note. Adapted from Phillips, S.M., Chevalier, S. & Leidy, H.J. 2016, “Protein “requirements” beyond the RDA: implications for optimizing health 1”, Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, vol. 41, no. 5, p4.

 

James Hudson

Better Body Group, Sevenoaks

 

To chat more about diet, book in with Hudson for a nutrition consultation by calling 01732 451979

 

References

 

Phillips, S.M., Chevalier, S. & Leidy, H.J. 2016, “Protein “requirements” beyond the RDA: implications for optimizing health 1”, Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, vol. 41, no. 5, pp. 565-572.

 

Slater, G. & Phillips, S.M. 2011, “Nutrition guidelines for strength sports: sprinting, weightlifting, throwing events, and bodybuilding”, Journal of sports sciences, vol. 29, no. sup1, pp. S67-S77.

 

Stellingwerff, T., Maughan, R.J. & Burke, L.M. 2011, “Nutrition for power sports: middle-distance running, track cycling, rowing, canoeing/kayaking, and swimming”, Journal of sports sciences, vol. 29, no. sup1, pp. S79-S89.

 

Longland, T.M., Oikawa, S.Y., Mitchell, C.J., Devries, M.C. & Phillips, S.M. 2016, “Higher compared with lower dietary protein during an energy deficit combined with intense exercise promotes greater lean mass gain and fat mass loss: a randomized trial”, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 103, no. 3, pp. 738-746.