Gym-goers and athletes have never been more clued-up about nutrition — and yet one question keeps coming up: what kind of protein should you actually eat to support your training? Is plant protein the best fit for your diet and lifestyle, or does whey protein still hold some advantages? As keen lifters and card-carrying protein enthusiasts, we've dug into this more times than we can count — so let us shed some light on it for you too.
If fitness, protein intake, weight management, muscle growth or special diets are your thing, you'll find plenty of research-backed insights below.
What exactly is protein?
Protein is an organic compound built from amino acids — or, more precisely, a structure formed by chains of them. Humans need 20 amino acids in total, and our bodies can make 11 of those on their own. The remaining nine essential amino acids have to come from food — for instance from Planet Amino protein cookies or protein powder (yes, that was a plug).
If you train, protein matters: it's what builds and maintains muscle mass and strength. Muscle grows through protein synthesis, so a diet with enough protein is a cornerstone of training that actually gets results. But how do the different protein sources stack up against each other?
What is plant protein?
Plant protein is — no surprises here — protein that comes from plants. In practice it can be extracted or refined from seeds, peas, hemp, beans, soy, nuts or potatoes, among others. Supplements commonly rely on pea protein, rice protein and soy protein. In Planet Amino protein cookies we use European plant protein powders — and our hemp and potato protein powders come from right here in Finland!
What is whey protein?
Whey protein is a natural by-product of cheesemaking. It comes from milk and goes into everything from whey cheeses to protein products of all kinds. Whey protein powders have been around forever, and whey remains one of the most popular sports supplements out there. Milk proteins don't work for everyone, though — whether because of an allergy (to lactose or the milk protein itself) or simply how you choose to eat.
Plant protein vs whey protein: an athlete's-eye view
Some differences between plant protein and whey protein — like where they come from — are obvious. What active people usually want to know about is protein content, amino acid profile, how it sits in your stomach and, above all, what it does for muscle growth and recovery. Oh, and taste. Obviously. Let's run through them:
Protein content per 100 g
Planet Amino plant protein powders pack a serious amount of protein: 71–81 grams per 100 grams, depending on the flavor.
Whey protein powders aimed at gym-goers typically land around 70–80 grams of protein per 100 g, depending on the product and flavor.
In other words: no meaningful difference in protein content beyond flavor-to-flavor variation.
Amino acid profile
The amino acid makeup of plant proteins depends on which plant the protein comes from. Pea and soy protein, for example, run lower in methionine and higher in lysine, while rice protein is low in lysine and higher in methionine. Combine different plant proteins, though, and you get a complete amino acid profile — one with all the essential amino acids on board.
The Planet Amino plant protein blend is designed exactly that way: our products contain all the essential amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine).
Whey protein, being animal-based, contains all the essential amino acids too.
Gentle on the stomach
Plant proteins contain no lactose, so they also work for exercisers with lactose intolerance or a milk allergy. Planet Amino protein cookies and protein powders are gluten-free and high in fiber on top of that — genuinely easy on the stomach. And yes, we run ongoing, strictly anecdote-level monitoring of whether our protein products cause flatulence, because as consumers we have plenty of lived experience with protein products our stomachs did not appreciate.
Whey protein products contain varying amounts of lactose, which simply doesn't agree with everyone.
Muscle growth, recovery and protein synthesis
Muscle growth comes down to protein synthesis and the hypertrophy triggered by training stimulus. According to multiple studies, whey protein and plant protein are comparable in their effects on protein synthesis and muscle growth, as long as the plant protein blend contains all the essential amino acids and enough leucine. The key is making sure your protein's amino acid profile is complete; getting enough methionine, for example, is essential for protein synthesis — and therefore for recovery.
The Planet Amino cookie bakers' own tracking — scientifically insignificant, anecdotally convincing — likewise shows that the iron keeps moving and personal records keep falling on plant protein power. It's easy to trust products you've spent years testing on yourself.
Absorption
Animal and plant proteins do absorb differently, partly because of the fiber in plant products and partly because of antinutrients that interfere with nutrient uptake. By default the body finds whey protein easier to use, but plant protein absorption can be improved during manufacturing — through heating, for example, and by combining different protein sources. Processing also dials down the effect of antinutrients.
So yes, whey protein generally absorbs somewhat faster than plant proteins. But as noted above, the two are comparable when it comes to protein synthesis and muscle growth — provided the plant protein product's amino acid profile is complete.
Taste
Here we can't lean on studies, but our customers have been very happy with how both our cookies and our protein powders taste. We never stop developing our products — including the ones already on the shelf — and we keep fine-tuning the flavors to be even more delicious. In our (only slightly biased) opinion, our plant protein powders taste at least as good as competitors' whey and plant proteins. Try them yourself and tell us what you think!
Who is whey protein for?
Whey protein suits exercisers and athletes whose diet includes animal-based foods and whose stomach gets along fine with the lactose in whey products. That said, we'd point you toward plant protein ourselves — for all the reasons in this article.
Who is plant protein for?
Plant protein suits anyone who wants to look after their protein intake without animal products or, say, lactose — gym-goers, athletes and the simply nutrition-curious alike. If you have allergies, do check product by product which plant proteins and ingredients are used.
The Planet Amino plant protein blend contains all the essential amino acids, which matters whether you're vegetarian or a committed omnivore. We use European and Finnish plant protein powders, so our products are a natural pick for anyone who prefers locally produced food. Our protein powders also mix into plain water beautifully, and the flavors keep earning praise from our customers — they've earned their spot in even the most discerning shopping basket.
They also seem to suit the experimental crowd: we keep stumbling onto brilliant breakfast and snack recipes on social media, dreamed up by our clever customers. Thank you for those — and keep tagging us!
Looking for quality protein products that contain all the essential amino acids and actually taste delicious? Explore Planet Amino's plant protein powders and protein cookies and find your favorite.
Frequently asked questions about plant protein
Does plant protein work for fitness and strength training?
According to research, a plant protein blend with enough essential amino acids supports muscle growth and recovery just as well as animal-based whey protein. That makes our products an excellent fit for fitness training — and even competitive sport. Plant protein's perks include being lactose-free and environmentally friendly — and we use European and Finnish protein powders in our products.
As an exerciser you could, for example, have a Planet Amino protein cookie as a pre-workout snack so you've got energy for the whole session. And after even the toughest workout, you can support recovery with a protein cookie, plant protein powder — or both! The combo gives you carbohydrates to refill your energy stores and protein for your muscles.
Is whey protein better than plant protein?
A plant protein blend with enough essential amino acids is a proven protein source for active people — just as effective as whey protein. Individual plant proteins can run low on certain amino acids, but combining them gets you all the essentials. Our plant-based protein powder is also lactose-free, which counts as a point in the stomach-friendliness column.
Of course, you're free to try both and decide which option suits your diet and taste buds better. Our pick? A plant protein powder from Kuopio, Finland.
What is the best protein powder?
The best protein powder depends on your goals, diet and preferences. If dairy agrees with you and you want a fast-absorbing protein, whey protein may do the job. If you'd rather have a plant-based, lactose-free and stomach-friendly option that's also an environmentally friendly choice, a quality plant protein blend is an excellent pick.
Why choose plant protein?
For an exerciser, plant protein is just as effective an option as whey protein — but for many, the scales tip toward plant protein because it's lactose-free and an ethical choice too. We choose Planet Amino plant protein because it's an ecological, stomach-friendly, delicious and European protein source.
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