To combine vegetable proteins well, a series of key points must be taken into account. Learning how to combine food is essential for a balanced diet.
Combining vegetable proteins can be key to meeting protein requirements and achieving optimal muscle mass gain. In addition, if high-intensity exercise is performed, it will be necessary to take into account a series of points to achieve a sufficient contribution, thus achieving adequate recovery.
Before starting, it should be noted that plant-based proteins do not have all the essential amino acids inside them. Nor do they have a good score in terms of digestibility.
For this reason, it will be necessary to increase daily consumption and make efficient food combinations in order to overcome this problem and avoid deficits. Otherwise, an unfavorable state of catabolism could be generated.
Anabolic capacity of vegetable proteins
The first thing to be clear about is that the anabolic capacity of vegetable proteins is not comparable to that of animal proteins. This is due to their difficulty in absorbing them and their lower leucine content. We are talking about one of the essential amino acids that most influences the pathways that stimulate tissue hypertrophy, as confirmed by research published in the journal Nature .
In the context of vegan diets, one of the following two alternatives must be implemented in order to maximize this anabolic mechanism. The first of these consists of supplementing with essential amino acids and protein. The second has to do with making a good combination of foods with a high content of these nutrients to overcome amino acid deficiencies and thus avoid dysfunctions.
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Limiting amino acids and combination of vegetable proteins
As we have mentioned, plant-based foods have at least one limiting essential amino acid inside them. Knowing the profile of each of the products will help to make subsequent combinations and thus achieve the configuration of complete proteins. In addition, it will be key to increase the contribution regarding a flexible diet.
Vegetable protein is just as healthy as animal protein.
As a general rule, the evidence recommends a consumption of more than 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of weight per day in sedentary people. In vegans, these requirements can easily be increased by 0.2 grams of protein per kilo of weight per day to ensure good absorption. If you play sports, the needs increase a lot, since it will be necessary to compensate for muscle damage.
The limiting amino acids in vegetables are the following:
Grains: lysine, threonine and tryptophan .
Legumes : methionine and tryptophan.
Vegetables: methionine and isoleucine.
Seeds and nuts : lysine and isoleucine.
To improve the protein quality of the diet, it is appropriate to combine grains with legumes or vegetables and seeds with legumes or vegetables. Thus, complete nutrients can be configured that do not cause deficits in terms of essential nutrients.
Paying attention to food combinations is essential to achieve a balanced and balanced diet.
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Can you gain muscle mass by combining vegetable proteins?
Many athletes wonder if it is really possible to experience a hypertrophy process from the combination of vegetable proteins. The read this article truth is that yes, but a series of considerations must be taken into account. In the first place, the need to combine foods, based on what we have already mentioned. In the same way, it will be necessary to increase the total protein intake.
According to a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition , athletes need to consume at least 1.4 grams of protein per kilo of weight per day. If we talk about a vegan diet, it will be important to guarantee at least 1.6-1.7 grams per kilo of body weight. Thus, problems in terms of digestibility can be avoided.
At the same time, a hypercaloric environment will have to be generated. An increase in muscle cross-section will not be experienced if there is no excess energy. With a surplus of 250-500 calories a day will be enough. Exceeding this figure could condition the accumulation of adipose tissue in excessive amounts, which is not interesting.
Finally, it is key to get a sufficient mechanical stimulus. The principle of progression in terms of mobilized loads must be respected. If the same type of training is always offered, the fabric will not be forced to start an adaptation process, so there will be no improvements. It is necessary that the intensity is increasing to achieve good results.
Properly combine vegetable proteins to gain muscle
As you have seen, it is crucial to properly combine vegetable proteins to obtain complete nutrients that allow us to satisfy the needs of the human body.
Thus, deficiencies in essential amino acids that end up conditioning the state of health and the functioning of the body are avoided. It will be important to know the limitations of each type of food to put them together efficiently.
Finally, to achieve hypertrophy, it is not only enough to optimize your diet and exercise regimen, but you will also have to start other habits. For example, it is crucial to sleep at least 7 or 8 hours a day of good quality. During the rest period, the hormonal balance is restored and the toxic waste compounds that accumulate during the day are eliminated. Thus, a good recovery is achieved.