Animal milk protein and potato protein were examined for their ability to aid in muscle growth by researchers at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. They were astounded by how similar both protein types' amino acid compositions were at their core.

The researchers in the study, which was published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, hypothesized that the two types of proteins would have nearly identical muscle protein synthesis (MPS) mechanisms, which describe how the body turns amino acids into muscle protein. They had it right.

The results of the study, "Potato Protein Ingestion Increases Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates at Rest and During Recovery from Exercise in Humans," showed that the two proteins had the same effects on muscle protein synthesis rates when compared at rest and after a single bout of resistance exercise in healthy, young males.

The researchers discovered that the rates of muscle protein synthesis after consuming 30 grams of potato protein were similar to those seen after consuming an equivalent amount of milk protein.

Animal protein and plant protein both contribute to muscle growth

Participants who ate 30 grams of potato protein concentrate or 30 grams of milk protein concentrate showed the same levels of MPS. The study's findings refuted the notion that you require animal protein to gain muscle and confirmed the idea that plant-based proteins can also help you gain muscle.

Luc J.C. van Loon, Ph.D., the primary study author and professor of physiology of exercise and nutrition at Maastricht University's Medical Centre, noted, "The anabolic response to exercise depends on the exercise stimulus and the postprandial increases in circulating amino acids."

Comparing the effects of dairy protein with potato protein on exercise

To examine how protein supplements affected their ability to gain muscle, the researchers recruited 24 healthy males between the ages of 18 and 35.

Before the subjects had the protein supplements, the researchers took some initial measurements of them. Following the trials, the research team carried out two further tests to look at the MPS rates during periods of rest and recuperation.

The participants in the trial would exercise on a leg press machine while randomly ingesting either 30 grams of potato protein or milk protein. The researchers measured comparable MPS levels after the activities. To arrive at this conclusion, the research team was able to thoroughly evaluate both trained and unexercised muscles.

Van Loon states that the key finding of the study is that eating protein derived from potatoes can boost muscle protein synthesis rates both at rest and during exercise and that this reaction is similar to eating an equivalent amount of milk protein.

Protein needs cannot be met only by the consumption of potatoes. Potatoes only have 1.5% of their fresh weight in protein. However, the study makes use of potato concentrates made from juices of potatoes that would be thrown away or utilized as animal feed. More studies examining the dose connections will need to be done in the future, the researchers noted.

The Alliance for Potato Research and Education (APRE), which provided funding for the project, admitted that it had no involvement in its conception or carrying out of the data analysis.

Plant protein for muscle growth

The Dutch study is the latest in a long line of investigations meant to demonstrate that sources of protein produced from plants can be just as beneficial to the body as those derived from animals. Hamilton Roschel of the University of Sao Paulo examined how muscle developed in omnivores and vegans in a study that was published in the academic journal Sports Medicine in January.

Each participant in the trial consumed 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to gain muscle. The researchers came to the conclusion that there were no appreciable differences in muscle fiber, total muscle, or mass between the subjects who consumed plants for three months.

The findings suggested that protein source does not affect resistance training-induced adaptations in untrained young men consuming adequate amounts of protein. "A high-protein, exclusively plant-based diet (plant-based whole foods plus soy protein isolate supplementation) is not different from a protein-matched mixed diet (mixed whole foods plus whey protein supplementation) in supporting muscle strength and mass accrual," the researchers wrote at the time.

The scientists noted that the majority of plant-based proteins included in exercise protein powders are from pea, soy, rice, or other sources, but that the protein in potatoes has received less research.

The study was not intended to suggest that you should exclusively eat potatoes and expect to gain muscle, as a medium potato only offers about 4.3 grams of protein, making it impractical to receive your entire requirement of protein (or even 30 grams) from them.

The findings of the study were intended to stimulate discussion regarding the source of protein for athletes who rely on milk proteins and to reconsider whether they need to consume more animal than plant sources of protein.