Pea protein

The world of protein supplements is growing by the day. With more brands, greater demand and new innovations, a wider variety of products are coming onto the market. You are no longer limited to either dairy-based or soy-based proteins when choosing your protein powder, but have access to a wide range of other proteins, including beef protein, fish protein, rice protein, hemp protein and the increasingly popular pea protein.

What is pea protein?

Pea protein is a purely plant-based protein powder made from peas. Pea protein is characterized by its good digestibility and easy digestibility. In addition, pea protein is rich in plant-based iron and, according to studies, can have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

What are the benefits of pea protein?

Per 100 grams of protein powder, pea protein contains around 7 grams of the amino acid L-arginine, which is important for nitric oxide production and other bodily functions, and easily exceeds the argine content of whey protein by a factor of four. The content of the essential amino acid lysine is also higher in pea protein than in most other protein sources. Lysine is involved in calcium absorption and therefore contributes to maintaining bone health. Lysine is also required for the formation of collagen, which is an important building block for joint cartilage and tendons. Bodybuilders and other athletes may be interested in the fact that pea protein is rich in glutamine and contains almost as many branched-chain amino acids(BCAAs) as whey protein, which can promote regeneration after training and counteract catabolic muscle breakdown during a diet. Another advantage of pea protein, which can be particularly beneficial during a calorie-restricted diet, is that pea protein has a significantly better satiating effect than whey protein, which can help to reduce overall calorie intake.

Pea protein powder

Pea protein powder is a vegetarian protein supplement made primarily from yellow shelling peas. Pea protein is a sustainable source of protein that generally has a high digestion rate of 90 to 95% depending on the source and form of the protein. Pea protein also has the added benefit of being hypoallergenic, due to the absence of common allergens and ingredients such as lactose, gluten and wheat, to which some people have intolerance reactions.

Why is a combination of pea protein and rice protein so high quality?

By combining pea protein with rice protein in a ratio of 30:70, you can obtain a purely vegetable protein mixture whose biological value reaches the dream value of whey protein, which is around 104. This is possible because rice protein provides large amounts of the amino acid methionine, which compensates for the lower methionine content of pea protein, while pea protein provides large amounts of the amino acid lysine, which ideally complements the amino acid profile of rice protein.

For which applications is pea protein particularly suitable?

Pea protein is very suitable as a plant-based protein source for vegans and other people who want to avoid or minimize animal protein sources. For vegans who cover a large part of their protein intake with cereal products, pea protein can also compensate for the low lysine content of cereal protein and counteract a lysine deficiency. As pea protein is a so-called hypoallergenic protein that is free from soy ingredients, lactose, milk protein and gluten, it is an ideal choice for those who are allergic to soy products or milk protein or suffer from gluten intolerance or lactose intolerance.

What are the main benefits of pea protein?

• Excellent for vegetarians and vegans
• Has a good satiating effect
• High content of BCAAs, glutamine, arginine and lysine
• Hypoallergenic protein source that is well tolerated by most allergy sufferers
• Lactose-free and therefore also suitable for people who suffer from lactose intolerance

Pea protein contains high levels of most amino acids, especially the essential amino acid lysine. Unfortunately, pea protein lacks the sulphur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine, which is why pea protein is often either fortified with these amino acids or mixed with rice protein or hydrolyzed whey protein, both of which contain more cysteine and methionine. Alternatively, pea protein can also be mixed with rice milk.

As already mentioned, pea protein is extremely hypoallergenic. Free from the most common allergens such as lactose, gluten, wheat and milk protein, pea protein is a sustainable and environmentally friendly source of protein. Peas do not require external pollination and the plant tends to absorb nitrogen from the air, so no additional fertilizers are needed. Unlike soy protein, pea protein is not associated with negative health consequences and pea protein is also an extremely cost-effective source of protein.

Taste and solubility

Pea protein tends to have a grainier texture than whey protein or soy protein, but this is not unpleasant. The texture of pea protein tends to promote satiety more compared to creamier and more liquid protein shakes, which is beneficial if you are looking to lose weight and fat or are using a protein supplement as a meal replacement. Pea protein is naturally slightly sweet and the taste can be enhanced by mixing it with cold rice milk.

Pea protein isolate

Just like other protein supplements, pea protein can be divided into different levels of purity, including pea protein concentrate and pea protein isolate. Pea protein concentrate typically has a protein content of over 80%, while the rest consists mainly of carbohydrates and a small amount of fat. Pea protein isolates, on the other hand, tend to have a higher protein content, usually above 90%. As a result, pea protein isolate also contains less carbohydrates and fat.

Pea protein vs. whey protein

Even though whey protein contains more branched-chain amino acids and has a higher protein content, the body only needs 20 grams of protein at a time to reap the benefits in terms of muscle protein synthesis. In addition, pea protein tends to have the highest arginine content of most protein sources available, including whey protein. Increased arginine intake has the following benefits for exercisers:

• Exogenous sources of arginine can help promote growth hormone release
• Arginine is involved in the synthesis of creatine
• Arginine is a precursor for nitric oxide synthesis

All of these factors can positively influence training and performance beyond simply increasing muscle protein synthesis. In terms of digestion rate, pea protein is digested at a medium rate, which means a longer delivery of amino acids to the muscles than whey protein.

Conclusion

Pea protein is an increasingly popular protein due to its high digestibility rate and bioavailability, its low tendency to cause allergies and its relatively low price. If you are looking for a good alternative protein source, pea protein is a good choice.