Pea protein and muscle building after exercise
What it found
In 33 resistance-trained people, 25 g of pea protein increased muscle protein synthesis after whole-body exercise just as much as mycoprotein or a blend.
The authors had expected pea protein to be less effective.
What they found
Studies in people
Muscle protein synthesis
Muscle protein synthesis increased after exercise and protein in all three groups. The rise was similar whether people got pea protein, mycoprotein, or the blend.
Amino acids in blood
Essential amino acids and leucine rose faster after pea protein and the blend than after mycoprotein. Overall amounts absorbed over 4 hours were similar.
Methionine levels
Blood methionine dropped after pea protein, while it rose after mycoprotein and the blend. The blend raised methionine more than pea protein alone.
Insulin response
Insulin increased after all three proteins to a similar extent.
What the authors conclude
“These data show that all three nonanimal-derived protein sources have utility in supporting postexercise muscle reconditioning.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that all three nonanimal-derived protein sources have utility in supporting postexercise muscle reconditioning.
- They state that pea protein is an effective protein source to support the postexercise muscle protein synthesis response.
- They suggest that blending proteins may not be necessary to optimally stimulate muscle protein synthesis after exercise.
How it was done
Pea protein is a popular non-animal protein, but it is low in methionine, which some scientists thought might limit its ability to build muscle. The authors wanted to see if blending pea with mycoprotein, a complete protein, would make up for that.
They gave 33 healthy, young, resistance-trained people a drink with 25 g of protein from mycoprotein, pea protein, or a blend after a whole-body resistance workout. They measured muscle protein synthesis over the next 4 hours using blood and muscle samples.
What it can’t tell you
- This study lasted only 4 hours after one workout, so it cannot show what happens with long-term training.
- The results are from young, resistance-trained people and may not apply to other groups.
- The study cannot show whether pea protein supports muscle growth over weeks or months.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NIA NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- T.J.A. Finnigan was an employee of Marlow Foods; B.T. Wall, A.J. Monteyne, and F.B. Stephens are employees of the University of Exeter. The private partners have contributed to the project through regular discussion. Aside from those aforementioned, the authors report no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- University of Exeter, United Kingdom; University of Texas Medical Branch, United States
The paper
- Title
- Ingestion of mycoprotein, pea protein, and their blend support comparable postexercise myofibrillar protein synthesis rates in resistance-trained individuals
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- West S, Monteyne AJ, Whelehan G, et al (2023). Ingestion of mycoprotein, pea protein, and their blend support comparable postexercise myofibrillar protein synthesis rates in resistance-trained individuals. American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism. doi:10.1152/ajpendo.00166.2023Free full textPubMed 37529834DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error