Plant protein
- Dietitian.Lauren Hmede
- Apr 17, 2019
- 2 min read
How to Optimize Plant Protein For Performance
Animal based protein sources are easily accessbile to be added to your diet and they add more flavor and taste to your plate. However, if your aim is to swtich your diet to a plant-based diet you need to focus on more plant protein sources and replace animal protein sources with them. This can be so tricky so how to optimize palnt proteins for performance?
1SLOWLY RAMP UP FIBER
Animal proteins dont contain fiber and in order to get enough fiber you need to emphasis on plant-based food like beans, legumes and some grains.
High fiber intake has been linked to lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, in addition to weight loss and normal bowel movement.
Consumption of high fiber food before exercise could lead to gastric distress in addition to flatulence, bloating and other issues that make exercise uncomfortable.
Takeaway: Slowly ramp up your consumption of plant foods while consuming additional water to help the digestive system adjust.
2DON’T OBSESS OVER COMPLETE PROTEINS
There is no need to worry about complete protein sources if you are consuming plant based diet.The idea of complete protein comes that they contain all essential amino acids while plant based sources have one or more missing amino acids. What I need to say is if you are on a well balanced diet there is no need to worry about complete protein.
Quinoa is an example of a complete plant protein, while lentils are incomplete as they lack methionine and cysteine. Luckily, your body doesn’t need every amino acid in each bite and is capable of filling those small gaps over time.
Takeaway: Don’t worry about eating complete proteins as long as your diet is varied.
3-EXPLORE PEA PROTEIN
Whey protein has been used as post-workout protein for muscles gain and recovery however studies have been shown thay soy rotein has same effect as whey. Soy protein is a complete protein and has an amino acid profile important for immediate muscle benefits. However, if weight loss is your goal, soy might not provide the appetite satiation whey does. Soy tends to be heavily processed, however, so look for a pure form.
Pea protein is another option for muscle gain due to its amino acid content: the leucine which tend to be missing in most plant based food.
Takeaway: Opt for a variety of plant protein powders and consider supplementing with additional amino acids.
4-AIM FOR A LITTLE EXTRA
Protein needs vary according to the age,sex and physical activity level. The general population may require .8g/kg of protein while strength and endurance athletes might need as much as 1.4g/kg. However, plant proteins are less available to the body.
In another word you need to consume more plant based protein than you do on animal sources to meet protein needs as absorption of plant based protein will be 5-10% lower than animal based protein.
Takeaway: If you’re only eating plant proteins, increase your protein intake by 5–10% daily.
Conclusion:
Plant based food are good source of nutrients and fiber. If you are an athlete and you have a heavy animal based diet you need to increase plant based food consuption in order to meet fiber needs and if you are only on plant based diet you need to make sure to include a variety of sources in addition to powdered supplements to prevent deficiencies.
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