Effects of plant-based protein supplementation on hypertrophy in healthy males and females who practice resistance training: a systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v81.117266Keywords:
Exercise performance, healthy adults, muscle mass, plant-based protein, vegetarian dietAbstract
Introduction: In recent years, the use of plant-based diets among those who participate in resistance exercise has increased. There is little evidence that the protein requirements of vegan/vegetarian exercisers are different from those of omnivores. Vegans/vegetarians who exercise must carefully plan their diets to ensure adequate intake of essential amino acids for adequate muscle protein synthesis. This systematic review aimed to analyze the effects of plant protein isolate supplementation on skeletal muscle hypertrophy in healthy males and females engaged in resistance training.
Methods: The review used five databases and followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Quality assessment of the reporting was performed using the CONSORT 2010 checklist. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook and the ROBINS-I checklists.
Results: Initially, 1508 articles were identified. After removing duplicates (504) and reviewing titles and abstracts (1004), thirteen articles were analyzed after reading the full text. The studies varied in intervention time, training levels, use of control groups, and leucine dose standardization. Most studies used soy protein supplementation in the interventions with different daily doses. This review showed that Plant-Based Protein Supplementation, compared with whey protein or leucine consumption, in trained or untrained healthy males and females yielded similar improvements in lean mass, muscle thickness, and strength.
Conclusion: Our systematic review found that plant-based protein supplementation appears to be as effective as animal-based protein supplementation increasing lean mass, muscle thickness, and strength in healthy individuals who undergo resistance training.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Renata Labronici Bertin, Nissay de Abreu Maruiama, Murilo de Andrade Chaves, Luan Francisco Calistro da Silva Braz, Andressa Roehrig Volpe Fix, Anabelle Retondario, Anderson Zampier Ulbrich
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