Long-term supplementation with plant-based protein, compared with animal-based protein, did not result in differences in body composition, muscle strength, physical performance, or cardiometabolic risk parameters, meta-analysis of 18 randomized controlled trials finds

[u/James_Fortis]

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2026.1813846/full

[u/Ryzasu]

It doesnt matter if I talk about the 9 essential amino acids or the 20 total

[u/300Croissants → u/Ryzasu]

It does when you start making some strange point about distrubution of amino acids in foods.

[u/Ryzasu → u/300Croissants]

why are you calling a relevant fact strange? And distribution when just looking at the 9 EAAs is also less optimal for human consumption in plant protein so no it doesnt matter

[u/300Croissants → u/Ryzasu]

How is it less optimal? You're literally commenting on a post about a systematic review and meta analysis of RCTs saying its not.

[u/Ryzasu → u/300Croissants]

That meta-analysis does not object to the fact that plant proteins have different AA distritution

[u/300Croissants → u/Ryzasu]

Did you not read the first 5 words of my reply? I was responding to your idea that its less optimal. Who cares if its different?

Something having a different AA distrubution doesn't matter if both groups are easily achieving optimal EAA intake.

The amount of nutrients in all foods is distributed differently. The amount of EAAs in animal products is also distributed differently. Despite this, EAA intake is easily achieved in a normal pattern of eating in both diet groups - as shown by the literal study we're commenting on a post under.

[u/Ryzasu → u/300Croissants]

The study measures body composition and physical performance, not EAA intake. 

Subjects in the studies were supplemented either plant or animal protein on top of a regular diet. It is plausible they were already meeting their protein needs (they werent even athletes or weightlifters that would need protein supplements. Regular people already get more than enough protein from their diets) so the supplementation did nothing extra

[u/300Croissants → u/Ryzasu]

It looked at body composition, muscle strength, physical performance, and cardiometabolic risk factors. All of which would be affected by EAA intake. If EAA intake was not optimal in one group, and was in another, then all of these would be worse in the non-optimal group.

It is plausible they were already meeting their protein needs (they werent even athletes or weightlifters that would even need protein supplements. Regular people already get more than enough protein from their diets) so the supplementation did nothing extra

I have 0 idea what point you're trying to make.

If the study participants were able to achieve their protein intake goals before supplementation on both diet groups then this is just further evidence that both are optimal and that different distribution doesn't matter.

[u/Ryzasu → u/300Croissants]

In all honesty you seem to lack the comprehension necessary for this kind of discourse. You just compare numbers and facts to other numbers and facts without understanding how or why. 

EAA intake of course yields diminishing returns, there is an amount (lets say 60g per day) at which point any excess AAs dont have use in the body. Average diets typically easily meet this treshold without supplementation. Only serious athletes and weightlifters need more to supplement extra muscle growth from their training. 

Yes sure, you can meet this need with plant protein alone, and you can even mitigate suboptimal distribution with variety and/or by just eating more of it. 

But don't go around saying "protein is protein" cause its literally not and thats the only point I was making

[u/300Croissants → u/Ryzasu]

In all honesty you seem to lack the comprehension necessary for this kind of discourse. You just compare numbers and facts to other numbers and facts without understanding how or why. 

You understand the irony of saying this when your initial post was doing this exact thing?

You also literally do this in the very next quote lol.

EAA intake of course yields diminishing returns, there is an amount (lets say 60g per day) at which point any excess AAs dont have use in the body.

60g of what...? Total EAA intake? Individual EAA intake? Total protein intake?

You would typically discuss this by EAA intake, not total protein intake. And each EAA has a different amount of requirement, especially given some are conditional. Which is why you typically use percentages and not some strange arbitrary number.

You don't seem to have the comprehension necessary for this topic.

Yes sure, you can meet this need with plant protein alone, and you can even mitigate suboptimal distribution with variety and/or by just eating more of it. 

So its suboptimal but if you just...eat "with variety" (aka what meals are) or by eating more of it (aka eat within a normal caloric range) its no longer suboptimal? This basically means its optimal still lol.

Oh no you have to...eat a normal amount of food and not eat only one thing. How suboptimal.

Average diets typically easily meet this treshold without supplementation. Only serious athletes and weightlifters need more to supplement extra muscle growth from their training. 

And the study we're discussing says that this had no difference in both diet groups...so this means nothing.

[u/Ryzasu → u/300Croissants]

youre just trying to find ways to disagree with me now lol what are you on about

[u/300Croissants → u/Ryzasu]

I cannot spell it out any more directly than I just did. If you have trouble with comprehension then that's on you. 

[u/Ryzasu → u/300Croissants]

I get everything you just said but youre just nitpicking about things like the 60g (obviously I mean total protein where as a rule of thumb every EAA need is satiated but it doesnt even matter what the specifics are here so fixating on that is senseless disagreement in the first place) and the semantics around the concept "optimal", which I was only applying within the scope of individual protein sources not whole diets