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DIGESTIBLE PROTEIN

Adding soy to the diet can help build muscle mass and strength
Mark Messina, Ph.D., Soy Nutrition Institute • Mar 4, 2021
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good reason to aim in that direction. Muscles not only look good, but Williams
engaging in exercises that increase muscle mass can lead to a Laura Temple • Mar 17, 2022

healthier metabolism, [1] reduce risk of chronic disease, [2] and help to CONSERVATION TILLAGE

maintain a higher quality of life. [3] Diet alone may not get you where Planning Leads to
you want to be, but the right diet can help you on your way. And Sustainable
Improvements on U.S. Soy
several recent studies highlight the utility of making soy part of that Farms
diet. U.S. Soybean Export Council •
Mar 16, 2022

ANIMAL FEED
The statistics are sobering. Muscle mass decreases approximately 3–
8% per decade after the age of 30 and this rate of decline is even Down to the Dollar:
Calculate the Optimal
higher after the age of 60. [4] The loss in strength as we age can be Nutritional Value of
even greater. [5] This loss has significant consequences for our overall Soybean Meal
Brandelyn Twellman • Mar 11, 2022
health and well-being. Advanced aging is associated with an increased
risk of sarcopenia which is characterized by a progressive loss of
skeletal muscle mass and strength and/or physical performance. [6]
However, studies consistently show that by engaging in resistance
exercise training (RET), muscle mass and strength can be increased,
SPECIALTY U.S. SOY DATABASE
even in the elderly. [7]
With over 125 featured varieties, the
Specialty U.S. Soy Database brings
While RET is the key to building muscle and strength, diet, and in you the most comprehensive
particular protein, plays a key role as well. There is universal database of U.S. soybean varieties
agreement that people engaged in RET require more protein than the available for use in soy-based foods.
recommended dietary allowance (RDA). Estimates range from 50% to
250% more. Most Americans consume more protein that the RDA, so U.S. Soy uses cookies. Privacy Policy okay
getting the additional amount of protein needed by individuals newly ACCESS THE DATABASE
engaged in RET may not as much of a challenge as it may seem. [8]
That may be less true for older folks because they tend to consume
less protein and may need more than younger folks to build muscle.
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While there is general agreement about the need for more protein,
there has been quite a bit of debate about whether certain types of
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proteins are more conducive for building muscle than others. For a Click to reach a
long time, whey protein was viewed as the gold standard in this U.S. Soybean Export Council
representative.
regard. [9] That would be obvious to anyone shopping around for
protein powders online or in stores. Whey represents about 20% of
milk protein, casein being the other 80%. CONTACT US

Whey is high in leucine, an amino acid that is heavily involved in

triggering muscle protein synthesis. Nevertheless, in 2018, a
statistical analysis of 9 clinical studies concluded that soy protein led
to similar gains in muscle mass and strength as whey protein and
other types of animal protein. [10] Two newly published studies further
our understanding of the benefits of soy for building muscle. [11,12]

One of these studies involved two groups of younger men, one group
was comprised of vegans (vegans do not eat any animal protein) and
the other group of omnivores. [11] Both groups engaged in RET twice
per week for 12 weeks. The vegans consumed a daily soy protein
supplement, and the omnivores consumed a whey protein supplement
every day. The study was designed so that each group of men would
consume about 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight, or
about twice the protein RDA. At study completion, both groups
experienced gains in strength and muscle mass, but there were no
differences between groups. This novel study design shows that even
in the context of a completely plant-based diet, soy protein
supplementation can lead to gains in performance.

The second study involved 4 groups of older Chinese men and women
who had low lean body (muscle) mass. [12] At study enrollment, protein
intake was slightly above the protein RDA. One group continued to
consume their usual diet, the other groups consumed their usual diet
for 6 months but in addition consumed daily 16 grams of soy protein,
or the same amount of whey protein or a blend of whey and soy.

At study conclusion, in comparison to the group that consumed their

usual diet, all three groups experienced gains in muscle mass and
strength, but there were no differences among the 3 protein-
supplemented groups. This study shows that even without RET, adding
more protein can help to build strength and muscle mass, and that
soy performs as well as whey. Furthermore, just 16 grams of
additional protein was sufficient to see pronounced benefits.
Depending upon the soyfood in question, those 16 grams can be
obtained from either one or two servings of soyfoods. Given the wide
array of soyfoods, adding one or two servings of soy daily to diet can
easily be done.

References

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[1] McPherron AC, Guo T, Bond ND, et al. Increasing muscle mass to
improve metabolism. Adipocyte. 2013;2:92-8.

[2] McLeod JC, Stokes T, Phillips SM. Resistance Exercise Training as a

Primary Countermeasure to Age-Related Chronic Disease. Front
Physiol. 2019;10:645.

[3] Liao CD, Chen HC, Huang SW, et al. The role of muscle mass gain
following protein supplementation plus exercise therapy in older
adults with sarcopenia and frailty fisks: A systematic review and meta-
regression analysis of randomized trials. Nutrients. 2019;11.

[4] Volpi E, Nazemi R, Fujita S. Muscle tissue changes with aging.

Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care. 2004;7:405-
10.

[5] Phillips SM, Martinson W. Nutrient-rich, high-quality, protein-

containing dairy foods in combination with exercise in aging persons
to mitigate sarcopenia. Nutr Rev. 2019;77:216-29.

[6] Chen LK, Woo J, Assantachai P, et al. Asian working group for
sarcopenia: 2019 consensus update on sarcopenia diagnosis and
treatment. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2020;21:300-7 e2.

[7] Fragala MS, Cadore EL, Dorgo S, et al. Resistance training for older
adults: Position statement from the National Strength and
Conditioning Association. Journal of strength and conditioning
research. 2019;33:2019-52.

[8] Berryman CE, Lieberman HR, Fulgoni VL, 3rd, et al. Protein intake
trends and conformity with the Dietary Reference Intakes in the
United States: analysis of the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey, 2001-2014. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018;108:405-13.

[9] Devries MC, Phillips SM. Supplemental protein in support of muscle

mass and health: advantage whey. J Food Sci. 2015;80 Suppl 1:A8-A15.

[10] Messina M, Lynch H, Dickinson JM, et al. No difference between

the effects of supplementing with soy protein versus animal protein
on gains in muscle mass and strength in response to resistance
exercise. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise
metabolism. 2018;28:674-85.

[11] Hevia-Larrain V, Gualano B, Longobardi I, et al. High-protein plant-

based diet versus a protein-matched omnivorous diet to support
resistance training adaptations: A comparison between habitual
vegans and omnivores. Sports Med. 2021.

[12] Li C, Meng H, Wu S, et al. Daily supplementation with whey, soy, or

whey-soy blended protein for 6 months maintained lean muscle mass
and physical performance in older adults with low lean mass. Journal
of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2021.
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Mark Messina, Ph.D.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
SOY NUTRITION INSTITUTE U.S. Soy uses cookies. Privacy Policy okay
 Dr. Mark Messina is a nationally recognized expert on the health effects of soy.

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