Can you build muscle mass on a vegan diet? Yes. With sufficient protein, a variety of vegan protein sources and regular strength training, you can build muscle mass even without meat and dairy. In this article, you’ll find out how it works: how much protein you need, which vegan sources are suitable, what to look out for, and what role a vegan protein powder can play.
How do you build muscle mass on a vegan diet?
Building muscle mass revolves around three things: the stimulus from strength training, sufficient protein as a building block, and enough energy from your diet. Whether that protein is vegan or animal-based makes no difference to this principle.
During strength training, you put your muscles under tension. Your body then uses amino acids from protein as building blocks to create muscle tissue. Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. This applies to any adequate source of protein, whether vegan or animal-based. Anyone who consumes too little protein or too few calories is actually lacking the building blocks and fuel required for this process.
How much protein do you need each day?
Anyone looking to build muscle mass specifically needs more protein than someone who is not very active. In sports nutrition, a guideline of approximately 1.6 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day is often recommended. For someone weighing 70 kilograms, that amounts to roughly 110 to 140 grams of protein per day.
Spread this out over the day: having a portion of protein with every meal is more practical than eating it all at once. If you’re on a vegan diet, you’ll need to pay a little extra attention to your total intake, as some vegan protein sources are slightly less easily digestible than animal protein. You can find out how to calculate your own requirements in ‘How much protein do you need per day?’
What vegan protein sources are there?
There are more vegan protein sources than you might think. The main groups are:
- Pulses: lentils, chickpeas, black beans and kidney beans
- Soya: tofu, tempeh and edamame
- Grains and pseudo-grains: oats, quinoa and wholemeal products
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds
- Vegan protein powders made from, for example, fava beans, peas or rice
By combining different sources, you can easily meet your daily protein requirements. You can find specific examples with their protein content in our list of vegan protein sources.
What should you bear in mind with a vegan diet?
Two points deserve attention when following a completely vegan diet: the variety of amino acids and vitamin B12.
Proteins are made up of amino acids. Not every vegan source contains all the essential amino acids in the same proportions: for example, grains are somewhat lower in the amino acid lysine, whilst pulses are lower in methionine. By varying your intake throughout the day, for example, by combining pulses with grains, you naturally balance out these differences. Soya and fava beans already contain a relatively complete amino acid profile.
Vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in animal products. For those following a completely vegan diet, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre and the Health Council therefore recommend a vitamin B12 supplement or fortified products. Vitamin B12 contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism. Vitamin B12 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Furthermore, choose unprocessed products as much as possible. Vegan alternatives to sweets and snacks often contain high levels of free sugars, and the World Health Organization and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advise limiting these.
What is the role of vegan protein powder?
A vegan protein powder (for example, made from fava beans, peas or rice) is a handy way to supplement your protein intake if you’re not meeting your daily requirements through regular meals. It is a supplement to a balanced diet, not a replacement for it.
A shake can be particularly handy on busy days or around your training sessions: it’s quick to prepare and easy to measure out. Be sure to stick to the portion size stated on the packaging. Our vegan protein powders are made from fava beans; the plain variety is also available in an organically certified version. Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. This applies whether you get it from your meals or from a powder. If you’d like to know more about vegan protein powder, read everything you need to know about vegan protein.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need animal protein to build muscle mass?
No. Your body needs amino acids, not necessarily animal protein. As long as you consume enough protein and vary your sources, you can build muscle mass with a vegan diet.
Is vegan protein different from animal protein?
Vegan protein differs from animal protein in amino acid composition and digestibility. By combining different sources and keeping an eye on your total protein intake, you’ll achieve the same end result.
Do you need protein powder if you follow a vegan diet?
Not necessarily. You can easily meet your protein requirements through meals containing pulses, soya, grains, nuts and seeds. A vegan protein powder is useful when this is difficult to achieve, for example on busy days.
What about vitamin B12 on a vegan diet?
Vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in animal products. On a fully vegan diet, a B12 supplement or fortified products are therefore recommended. Vitamin B12 contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Would you like to supplement your protein intake with a vegan source? Our vegan protein is made from fava beans, has a clean label and contains no unnecessary additives. Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass.
