When you hear “good source of protein,” what foods come to mind? Boneless 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 a great option for anyone who wants the benefits of protein supplements but prefers plant-based products. Find out why we use pea protein in our protein supplements — and how choosing a plant-based protein won’t change your gains and goals any time soon.
5 Nutritional Benefits of Pea Protein
The humble pea is actually a source of protein, and that’s only part of its appeal. Here are some of the nutritional benefits of pea protein.
1. Helps in muscle recovery and growth
You probably know the basics of how muscle is built: Exercise (especially strength training) causes damage to muscle tissue. In the process of repairing them, the muscles become stronger and grow in size. In short, exercise is the stimulus and adequate nutrition – specifically protein – is the key to adaptation.
“Pea protein helps build muscle by providing the building blocks (amino acids) your muscles need to repair and rebuild after exercise,” says Paul Falcone, principal scientist at BODi. Drinking a pea protein shake or smoothie post-workout or between meals can help you meet your daily protein needs.*
Its herbal composition Beachbody Performance Recover uses pea protein as the main protein source, providing 20 grams of protein per serving. It also contains essential amino acids, so called because they are not produced by the body and must be supplied by food. These essential amino acids also include branched chain amino acids (BCAAs).
2. It helps to improve performance
Falcone conveys that the benefits of eating pea protein can be cumulative. With consistent fueling, as well as training and recovery, you will likely notice a significant difference in your workouts.
“Pea protein after exercise also helps support performance because you can get stronger over time if you give your body what it needs to recover properly,” says Falcone.*
3. Vegan friendly and dairy free
As mentioned above, incorporating a protein shake or smoothie into your routine can help with muscle recovery. But for people following a vegan or dairy-free diet, protein supplements containing whey and casein (the majority of readily available powders and prepackaged drinks) are not an option.
Because pea protein is entirely plant-based, it’s a comparable dairy-free alternative to animal-based protein powders that are also vegan-friendly.
4. Excellent source of iron
Iron it is necessary to maintain healthy blood. However, meeting your daily intake needs can be difficult, 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, which makes pea protein a worthy choice for anyone looking to increase their iron intake. A portion of Beachbody Performance Plant-Based Recover contains 5 mg of iron, which is more than half of it recommended daily value for men and about 25 percent for women.
5. It can help you stay 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 calorie needs. Research shows that protein consumption can help provide long-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 vegan protein supplements is based on the unique chemical composition of pea protein.
“We chose pea protein because it provides leucine (BCAA) and a wide range of other essential amino acids in amounts that can aid post-exercise recovery,” he says. “Research shows that leucine and essential amino acid content are extremely important when choosing protein sources for muscle growth and exercise performance.”
Does pea protein work for muscle gain?
When combined with a solid resistance training routine, a healthy diet, and proper rest and recovery, pea protein can help you gain muscle mass, strength, and power.
“Pea protein provides essential amino acids, which are essential building blocks to help muscles rebuild and repair,” says Falcone. “Leucine is a particularly important essential amino acid, as it enhances the molecular signal for muscle rebuilding, while also being a building block.”
In fact, pea protein can be just as effective at boosting muscle growth as some of the more commonly used supplements on the market. Falcone notes a 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, suggesting that pea may be just as effective as whey in combination 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.
