Pea Protein For Weight Loss

Weight loss is a common goal for many people. However, this can often be difficult. Despite this, there's no time like the present to pursue new goals. Even if you have tried multiple different diets without success, pea protein may be the supplement which tips the odds in your favor, allowing you to reach your goals.

Yes, you read that right. Pea protein is not only an excellent source of protein, but it can also help you lose weight.

How Can Pea Protein Powder Help With Weight Loss?

The benefits of pea protein are numerous. Ranging from performance and health goals through to weight loss. Below we will focus the aspect of pea protein which can help you get your weight down.

Protein Promotes Satiety

Protein, in particular, provides greater satiety than carbohydrates or fats. This means you will feel fuller. Since maintaining a calorie deficit is required to reduce weight, greater satiety can help reduce the probability of binge eating and going into a calorie surplus (1). Pea protein supplements have high protein contents, and will help you increase your dietary protein which will in turn promote satiety. Research has found significantly greater weight loss in individuals following a high protein diet when compared to those following a standard diet (2).

Increased Thermogenesis

The process of metabolism and the amount of heat your body extracts from what you eat is known as thermogenesis. Calorie equivalents are used to measure the amount of energy your body burns. The more powerful the thermogenic effect on your body, the more fat you will burn.

Considerable evidence suggests protein consumption above the standard amount boosts thermogenesis compared to consuming less protein. This means the pea protein isolate with typical protein levels in excess of 75% can help you boost thermogenesis resulting in better result with reducing weight due to more calories being expended (3).

Increased Fat Oxidation Is Linked To Increased Protein Intake

Fat oxidation refers to the process of breaking down fatty acids. To oxidize fat, your body must first use energy from calories. Research found by increasing dietary protein maximal fat oxidation was increased. Interestingly, regardless of change in bodyweight fat free mass of those following a high protein diet improved (4). This means any weight reduction was mainly because of fat loss rather than muscle atrophy. As we will see later high protein consumption can help preserve muscle. As hitting high levels of protein can be difficult every day, especially when leading a busy life, pea protein powder is an excellent way to conveniently consume protein at a high level.

Pea Protein Suppresses Appetite More Effectively Than Other Protein Powders

Research has found when consumed as a preload, pea and casein protein were found to lower short term food intake more effectively than other protein powders (5). This suggests consuming a pea protein supplement may provide a slight advantage over other protein powders when attempting to maintain a calorie deficit.

The suppression of appetite is an extremely helpful benefit when trying to lose weight as it helps you control your calorie intake. This is an often overlooked aspect of weight loss, which can make a big difference. The reason for this is it will reduce the probability of binge eating and make you more likely to stick to a calorie restricted diet plan. Without maintaining a calorie deficit weight loss is not possible.

As you can see, pea protein is an excellent way to lose weight. It's satiating, thermogenic, and suppresses appetite more effectively than other protein powders.

How Should I Use Pea Protein Powder For Fat Loss?

A calorie deficit is required to lose weight. Pea protein powder can be used to assist with weight loss, but cannot cause it. Here are some important things to know before you use pea protein powder for weight loss:

Pea Protein Does Not Contain All The Essential Amino Acids

Pea protein contains all nine essential amino acids. Aside from methionine, pea protein has good levels of all the essential amino acids. When using pea protein it is important to ensure you are getting enough methionine from other dietary sources. Any weight loss diet plan, must take this into account.

Methionine can be found in both animal and plant proteins. Animal proteins which are high in methionine include turkey, beef, tuna and pork. Obviously, this is not an option if following a plant-based diet so any of the following options can be incorporated: dried seaweed, brazil nuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, pistachio nuts peanuts and oats.

Some of the best pea protein powder supplements now make use of a pea protein blend. This is normally a combination of pea protein isolate with hemp or brown rice protein powder. The main purpose of these blends is to provide good levels of all nine essential amino acids in one supplement. However, some of best pea protein powders also contain added ingredients which are rich in antioxidants and essential fats.

Remember A Calorie Deficit Is Needed To Lose Weight

Maintaining a calorie deficit is the most critical aspect of any weight loss program. This means you need to expend more calories than you consume.

A calorie deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories per day should be included as part of a weight reduction program aimed at achieving a healthy rate of 0.5 to 1 kg per week, according to the US National Institutes of Health's clinical guidelines on obesity (6).

This study revealed that regardless of the approach to weight reduction, only the negative energy balance is responsible for weight reduction (7). Setting reasonable goals for weight reduction is critical. Slow and constant adjustments are required to be successful, and the most crucial aim is maintaining a healthy weight and preventing regain. The best weight-loss maintenance diet should be long-term and simple to follow (8).

Writing out your daily calorie intake is the foundation of any program. For best results you should ensure your daily calorie intake is high in protein (this is normally achieved with a quality protein supplement). As mentioned before this can help you get better results by promoting satiety and helping with muscle maintenance. Retaining muscle tissie can help you achieve improved lean body mass which will lead to you having a better physique as you lose weight.

Pea Protein Can Be Used To Help Post-Workout Recovery

Pea protein contains high protein levels with good levels of the branched-chain amino acids, making it an excellent choice for post-workout recovery.

Recent studies suggest consuming protein and/or amino acids peri-workout can help you recover faster, boost your immune system, and build muscle. Recovery is crucial if you're going to be combining exercise with your diet plan, the best way to make sure your post-workout nutrition is on point, is by taking pea protein powder as soon as your finish training. (9).

Pea Protein Can Be Used To Preserve Muscle Mass

Protein is broken down into amino acids which provide the building blocks for muscle tissue. Muscle protein synthesis is a naturally occurring mechanism in which protein is created to repair muscle damage due to strenuous exercise. It opposes muscular protein breakdown due to protein loss during exercise. Pea protein is effective in increasing muscle protein synthesis. It has shown similar results to whey protein when it comes to promoting muscle growth, strength and exercise performance. This has led to vegan bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts using pea protein for muscle growth. It is thought the reason for pea producing similar results to whey is due to having a similar branched chain amino acid profile. Pea protein has good levels of all the branched-chain amino acids (BCAA's), which help promote muscle protein synthesis. 

In athletes losing weight, higher protein intake preserved lean body mass more successfully than lower protein intake (10). Protein at a level above the recommended dietary allowance has been shown in studies to preserve muscle mass over the short term when individuals lose weight (11).

Conclusion

So, can pea protein help with weight loss? Yes, it's a great way to add more high-quality protein to your diet and may help you shed pounds. However, the most essential factor for weight loss is creating a calorie deficit, which can be done through regular exercise and healthy eating habits.

A pea protein shake is an easy way to boost your protein intake and enhance satiety while you are following a calorie restricted diet – just remember track your calories.