Study finds vegan protein builds muscle better than milk

The University of Exeter looked at how effective milk and mycoprotein were at boosting the number of amino acids in the bloodstream of 20 regular gym-goers. Amino acids effectively work as the building blocks of protein. They are responsible for the growth and repair of muscle tissue. This is particularly important after a workout, when you've lifted some serious weight and stressed your muscle fibres. Generally, the more amino acids in your bloodstream, the greater your rate of muscle growth. Those involved in the study went through their usual workout routine, and afterwards were given either milk protein or mycoprotein. Scientists discovered that ingesting milk protein boosted muscle building rates by up to 60%, which is hugely impressive. However, those who consumed mycoprotein increased their rate of muscle growth by more than double this figure. Dr Benjamin Wall of the University of Exeter says, "These results are very encouraging when we consider the desire of some individuals to choose non-animal derived sources of protein to support muscle mass maintenance or adaptations with training." "Our data show that mycoprotein can stimulate muscles to grow faster in the hours following exercise compared with a typical animal comparator protein (milk protein). We look forward to seeing whether these mechanistic findings translate to longer term training studies in various populations."