Not only is plant and animal protein equivalent for muscle building, but it doesn't really matter when you eat it during the day.
This result can reassure those who have switched to a plant-based diet for sustainability, health, or ethical reasons, as well as those who have not taken the step for fear of falling behind in the "protein race".
The beginnings - why did I start weight training at all?
When I switched to a plant-based diet 8-9 years ago, I admit, I had doubts for a long time. Will I get enough protein? The idea that protein means meat, eggs, and dairy was so ingrained in me... After a while, it wasn't my well-being or energy level that worried me (because I was surprisingly good with those), but rather what people in my environment or online instilled in me: "You need meat for training and that's it."
Back then, it wasn't common for someone to follow a plant-based diet, so I had to find a convincing source: myself. My inner insecurity eventually led me to start weight training. Not because I had bodybuilding ambitions, but to get an answer once and for all to my question: is plant protein enough?
After 3 months, I had no more questions. Not only did I increase my muscle mass, but I was able to train with much heavier weights than I had ever hoped. This was the point where I finally let go of the constant counting and stopped doubting.
Science has lined up behind us
Now science has stated what we, living on a plant-based diet, already knew from experience: plant protein supports muscle protein synthesis just as effectively as animal-derived.
Researchers at the University of Illinois conducted a randomized study of 40 healthy, active young people (both men and women). Their study was published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise in March 2025 and was titled Impact of Vegan Diets on Resistance Exercise-Mediated Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis in Healthy Young Males and Females: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
The participants followed either a vegan or omnivorous diet for 9 days, while performing full-body resistance training 3 times. Everyone received the same amount of protein per day - about 1.1-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight.
Using muscle biopsies, the researchers directly measured how quickly muscles build new proteins. And what did they find? It didn't matter at all what anyone ate. The speed of muscle protein synthesis did not differ between the vegan and omnivorous groups.
And what about protein timing?
Several studies have already confirmed that timing is not as important as it was previously imposed on us, so the theory of the anabolic window failed again this time.
However, this study examined this question again: part of the men were given their daily dose in 3 meals, while the rest were divided into 5. What was the difference? Nothing. At least from a muscle growth perspective, it didn't matter how many times we eat and how quickly the next course comes after training.
We got another scientifically based answer that animal protein is not necessary to build muscle (there are already many such studies). If you consume enough plant protein from diverse sources (such as lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, oats, quinoa, seeds) and train regularly, your muscles can develop just as if you were eating a mixed diet. Your body looks at whether it gets the necessary amino acids, not what the source was.
In addition, those following the plant-based diet in the study reported feeling more energetic and less tired - unlike the omnivores, who highlighted the feeling of satiety.
