Arnold Schwarzenegger Explains How To Upgrade Plant-Based Protein With Amino Acids

Muscle Building
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Arnold Schwarzenegger says plant-based protein can be upgraded with amino acids.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has previously spoken on how he has taken on a plant-based diet. This includes different proteins. According to research studied by Schwarzenegger, adding amino acids to plant-based protein can make it as powerful as regular protein powder.

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“New research found that adding an important essential amino acid to a plant-based protein powder can make it just as powerful as Whey protein.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger made it clear that he is not only following this diet plan because of his health. He is also interested in the impact that it has on the environment. He mentions that pollution is a major factor in the United States. Schwarzenegger claims that eating less meat means that less and less forests will be cleared, ultimately creating more food for animals.

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Arnold Talks Amino Acids With Plant-Based Protein

Arnold explained how plant-based proteins bring great health benefits but lack certain amino acids that eliminate the anabolic response.

“To get around this “limitation,” you can simply consume more plant protein, which can help offset the imbalance. Eating 30 grams of a single source of plant-based protein (like pea protein) can give you a similar amino acid profile as whey. But that typically means eating more calories overall.”

The study conducted gave those involved 20 grams of plant protein with 1.5 grams of leucine. The muscle protein synthesis was comparable to 20 grams of Whey protein.

“If you want to eat more plant-based protein, adding a little leucine to your shake or just bumping up the protein per serving will ensure you give your muscles all they need to grow and support recovery.”

Originally, plant protein was considered not as strong because of the lack of these amino acids. Adding them in brings in great benefits when it comes to muscle building.

“Plant proteins were previously considered inferior because plants (think pea, soy, quinoa, and others) don’t have as many essential amino acids (the building blocks of your cells that your body doesn’t make on its own) as whey protein (which comes from milk) or other animal sources. That means muscle protein synthesis is less with plant proteins.”

The Top Plant-based Protein

We wouldn’t talk about plant based protein without recommending a good vegan protein powder to help your gains. Nutricost Pea Protein is our number one option when it comes to this.

Nutricost Pea Protein

Pea protein is a great option for those who do not want animal based products and prefer a vegan diet. That being said, Nutricost Pea Protein is a great option!

Nutricost Pea Protein is filled with a great base of pea protein ingredients, making it a great option for those who do not want to consume any animal products. Each serving contains 20g of protein, so this is easy on your stomach and great for muscle growth, recovery, and weight loss or management.

Nutricost Pea Protein also comes unflavored, so you can mix it with other supplements such as BCAAs. This protein is not only third party tested to assure quality and ingredients, but it also is USDA Organic Certified. A transparent and honest label lets you know everything in this great pea protein.

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Greg Patuto
Greg has covered the four major sports for six years and has been featured on sites such as Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, SB Nation, NJ.com, and FanSided. Now, he is transitioning into the world of bodybuilding and strength sports.