1. Alternative Protein
Sources for Vegan &
Vegetarian diets
Sports Nutrition (NUTR 407)
February 26th 2015
By: Haley Schlechter
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2. Objectives:
 Be able to explain what PDCAAS is and how it
relates to bioavailability.
 Identify which Protein powders contain most
digestible protein.
 Identify 3 different protein sources for restrictive
diets (Vegan AND Vegetarian).
 Identify new and trending protein powders on
market and how effective they are.
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3. Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino
Acid Score
PDCAAS value of 1.0 is the highest and 0.0 is the lowest
 Whey Protein- 1.0
 Egg white protein- 1.0
 Casein protein- 1.0
 Milk protein- 1.0
 Soy protein Isolate- 1.0
 Pea Protein- 0.93
 Beef- 0.92
 Soybeans- 0.91
 Kidney beans- 0.68
 Whole wheat bread- 0.54
 Hemp Protein- 0.46 3

4. Non-meat protein sources:
 Vegetarians:
 Milk
 Whey
 Casein
 Eggs
 Beans/ legumes
 Soybeans
 Quinoa
 Hemp Protein
 Pea Protein
 Rice Protein
 Seitan
 Tempe
 Tofu
 Vegan:
 Beans/ legumes
 Soybeans
 Quinoa
 Hemp Protein
 Pea Protein
 Rice Protein
 Seitan
 Tempe
 Tofu
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5. Milk
 Complete protein: PDCAAS: 1.0
 Contains (per 1 cup)
 86 calories
 .5g of fat
 8g protein
 12g carbs
 Cost $3.50 per gallon
 80% casein
 20% whey
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6. Whey Protein powder
 Complete Protein: PDCAAS: 1.0
 Typical serving (per 26g):
 80 calories
 .3g fat
 26g protein
 Cost: $32 for 1.37lbs ($23.35 per
lb)
 Fast Acting protein
 Concentrate vs. isolate
 Concentrate: at least 70% protein
 Isolate: ~ 95% protein
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7. Casein Protein powder
 Complete Protein: PDCAAS: 1.0
 Contains (per 33g):
 120 Calories
 1g fat
 3g carbs
 24g protein
 Cost: $60 for 2 lbs. ($30.00 per lb)
 Slower acting protein:
 Consume before bed to prevent muscle breakdown
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8. Eggs and Egg Protein Powder
 Complete protein:
PDCAAS: 1.0
 1 large boiled egg
contains
 77 calories
 5g fat
 .5g crabs
 6.26g protein
 Cost: 2.00 for a dozen
 Egg Protein Powder:
 Contains (per 30.5g):
 110 Calories
 .5g fat
 2 carbs
 24g protein
 Cost: ~$65.00 per 2 lbs
(32.0 per lb)
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9. Beans/ Legumes
 Incomplete protein: PDCAAS: 0.68
 They generally lack leucine, lysine and saline
 Tend to be low in methionine as well
 By adding (brown) rice you can make it a complete protein
 Contains per ½ cup:
 Calories 330
 21g protein
 1.4g fat
 60g carbs
 Vegetarian and Vegan
 Examples: White beans, lima Beans, lentil, kidney, pinto, black beans,
chick peas 9

10. Soybeans
 Incomplete: PDCAAS 0.91
 Not a great source of methionine
and lysine
 Vegan and vegetarian
 ½ cup contains:
 149 calories
 7g fat
 15g protein
 Cost: $3.00 per 24 oz ($2.00 per
lb)
 Natto- fermented soybeans
 Similar to overgrown kidney beans
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11. Isolate Soy Protein
 Complete: PDCAAS 1.0
 Vegan and vegetarians
 Contains (per 28.5g):
 110 calories
 1g fat
 2.1g carb
 23g protein
 Cost: $32.00 for 1.5lbs ($21.00 per
lb)
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12. Quinoa
 Complete protein PDCAAS ~ 0.79
 Contains per ½ cup:
 110 calories
 1.75g fat
 20g crabs
 4g protein
 Cost: $5.00 per lb.
 Vegan & Vegetarian
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13. Pea Protein
 Incomplete Protein: PDCAAS: 0.93
 Missing Histidine
 Slow digesting Protein
 Extracted from legumes
 Just starting to become more popular
 Vegan alternative
 Gluten, soy, and dairy free
 High in Lysine and Arginine
 Vegan athletes at risk for lysine deficiency although it is rare
 Provides 30% of non-heme Iron needed daily
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14. Different Types of Pea Protein:
 Different kinds: Beach Pea, Grass Pea and Green Pea
 In research found that:
 Beach Pea seemed to have higher Predicted Biological
Value (PBV) and Predicted Protein Efficiency Ratio (PPER)
than Green Pea and Grass Pea proteins
 Beach Protein Isolate stacks up similarly to other
protein powders
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15. Pea Protein in Research
 Article: Pea Protein oral supplement promotes muscle
thickness gains during resistance training: a double-blind,
randomized, Placebo-controlled clinical trail vs. Whey Protein
 Compared effects of placebo group, pea protein and whey
protein
 Methods: 12 week resistance training programs, consumption in
morning and within 30 minutes after resistance training.
 Performed on trained and untrained individuals
 Was NOT trying to compare whey vs. Pea protein
 Results: Pea protein stacked up just as well as and in a few
areas better then Whey protein
 Muscle thickness increase was highest in Pea protein although it
was not statistically significant
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16. Pea Protein: Take home points
 Contains (per 30g):
 130 calories
 2g fat
 28g protein
 $31.00 per 32 oz ($15.00 per lb)
 Complete Protein
 Slow digesting protein
 People with allergies to milk proteins and Vegans
 The bioavailability of Pea protein is just as abundant as
whey protein and would be a reasonable alternative
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17. Rice Protein
 Incomplete protein: PDCAAS 0.47
 Contains all 9 EAA but low levels of
Histidine and Lysine
 Contains (per 21g serving):
 80 calories
 0g fat
 2g carb
 17g protein
 High fiber, B vitamins
 Cost: $48.95 for 2.2 lbs ($22.00 per lb.)
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18. Hemp Protein
 Complete Protein but low PDCAAS
 Seed= 35% protein
 Hemp Seed PDCAAS: 0.50
 Hemp Meal PDCAAS: 0.48
 De-hulled Seed PDCAAS: 0.65
 Contains (per30g):
 120 Calories
 4g fat
 7g carbs
 13g protein
 Cost: $17.00 per lb.
 Illegal to grow in US.
 Considered Environmentally friendly
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19. Coconut Protein:
 New and trending on market
 Could not find a PDCAAS score for
coconut protein
 This one claims to be lactose and
gluten free
 Medium coconut has 13g of protein
 But 1400 calories
 Coconut Protein Drinks Ingredients
 12 bottles= $35.00 dollars
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20. Cyanobacteria: Spirulina and blue green
algae
 New trend among Vegan diets
 No research confirming how effective it is
 No cellulose- easy for body to break down
 Concerns with herbal supplements
 71% complete Protein
 85-95% digestible
 Vey expensive
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21. Vegetarian vs. Vegan Diet
PDCAAS value of 1.0 is the highest and 0.0 is the lowest
 Whey Protein- 1.0
 Egg white protein- 1.0
 Casein protein- 1.0
 Milk protein- 1.0
 Soy protein Isolate- 1.0
 Pea Protein- 0.93
 Beef- 0.92
 Soybeans- 0.91
 Kidney beans- 0.68
 Whole wheat bread- 0.54
 Hemp Protein- 0.46
 Whey Protein- 1.0
 Egg white protein- 1.0
 Casein protein- 1.0
 Milk protein- 1.0
 Soy protein Isolate- 1.0
 Pea Protein 0.93
 Beef- 0.92
 Soybeans- 0.91
 Kidney beans- 0.68
 Whole wheat bread- 0.54
 Hemp Protein- 0.4621

22. Vegan Protein needs:
 Vegan athletes need to increase their protein intake by
10%
 due to digestibility of the proteins they consume
 All meals should include a protein source
 Complete or two complementary proteins
 B12 only found in animal meat will have to be consumed
as vitamin most likely as well as vitamin D
 Protein requirement and Calorie intake tend to be Vegan
athletes main issues
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23. Other Vegan Protein Sources
 Seitan: 20g protein per ½ cup
 Complete Protein, low PDCAAS ~0.25
 Made from wheat gluten (not gluten free),
texture similar to meat
 Tempeh: 11g protein per ½ cup cooked
 Complete protein, PDCAAS 1.00
 Firmer and chewer then tofu
 Tofu: 7g per ½ cup
 Complete protein source, PDCAAS ~0.94
 Made of soybean curds, very versatile, spongy
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24. Vegan Athlete Example: Mike Zigomanis
 Hockey player for the Rochester Americans
currently
 Completely Vegan diet
 Spends at least 10 hours a week prepping food
 Calls it his second job
 Consumes lots of mixed meals
 Does not feel it is affecting his performance as
a player
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25. Conclusion:
 Look into the PDCAAS of different protein powders
 The closer to 1.0 the more functional they are to your body
 Milk Proteins Egg white protein, and Soy Isolate
are the most functional proteins for athletes
 There are plenty of protein alternatives for Vegan
and Vegetarians
 Ex: Soy Isolate, Pea, Hemp (in order highest to lowest
PDCAAS)
 Of the Trending Vegan and Vegetarian protein
sources, Beach Pea protein has the highest PDCAAS
 It is also not very expensive relative to others
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26. References
 Jeukendrup, Asker E., and Michael Gleeson. Sport Nutrition: An Introduction to
Energy Production and Performance. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2010. Print.
 Quinoa PDCAAS value
 http://greatist.com/health/complete-vegetarian-proteins
 Pea Protein References:
 http://greatist.com/health/7-alternative-proteins-meatless-mondays
 http://growingnaturals.com/knowledge/our-proteins/why-pea-protein/
 Pea proteins oral supplementation
 Hemp Protein references:
 http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-hemp-protein-6674.html
 http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf102636b
 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/doi/10.1111/1750-
3841.12537/pdf
 Brendan Brazier Thrive Diet
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27. References Continued
 Coconut Protein Reference (link)
 Vegan life style:
 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/doi/10.1111/1750-
3841.12537/pdf
 Research on Vegan Protein intake
 Mike Zigomanis
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