Soy Protein Blend Boosts Muscle Mass, Says Researchers

May 4 2014

Soy Protein Blend Boosts Muscle Mass, Says Researchers

Think soy milk and other dairy products are useless? Think again. A recent study has revealed a direct link between protein blends containing soy and greater muscle mass. If you’re looking to build bigger, stronger muscles, you should consider adding it to your diet.

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch discovered that using a combination of casein protein, whey protein and soy milk after performing bouts of strength training exercises yielded a longer delivery of amino acids to the muscles than compared to whey protein alone. As you may already known, amino acid delivery is critical to muscle repair and ultimately growth, as it encourages the torn fibers to heal faster.

How exactly does soy boost the effectiveness of whey and casein protein following workout sessions? Researchers believe it’s able to accomplish this by extending the “muscle synthesis.” When soy is added to whey and casein, it prolongs the normal metabolic process of the muscles; thus, reducing recovery times while encouraging faster muscle growth.

This particular study revealed that a post-workout beverage containing whey protein, casein protein and soy milk prolonged muscle synthesis for approximately 1 hour longer than drinking whey protein alone. This means your muscles will reap the benefits of the protein shake for an additional 60 minutes when you add soy milk.

Soy milk is surprisingly delicious, so don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. The truth is that most people can’t tell the difference between soy and cow’s milk, making it a palatable, easy-to-blend additive for your protein shakes.

"Because of the increased demand for high-quality protein, this study provides critical insight for the food industry as a whole, and the sports nutrition market in particular,” said Greg Paul, global marketing director for DuPont Nutrition and Health. “With more and more consumers recognizing the importance of protein for their overall health and well-being, the results of this study have particular relevance to a large segment of the population, from the serious sports and fitness enthusiast to the mainstream consumer.”

So the next time you are preparing a post-workout protein shake, consider using soy milk rather than cow’s milk. Not only is it fat-free, but this study reveals is muscle-boosting properties when combined with whey and casein protein. Tossing a scoop of whey protein, a scoop of casein protein and soy milk into a blender for 30 seconds will offer a powerful post-workout beverage.

Soy beans photo courtesy of Kathryn Decker via Flickr Creative Commons.