Pea protein is a form of protein that’s derived from yellow peas. In recent years, pea protein has grown in popularity as an alternative to milk and egg based protein products.
Protein powders are often used by those looking to change their body composition by losing weight, specifically fat, and gaining muscle.
A key issue with any protein powder is whether it can make you gain weight (besides wanting to build muscle).
If used properly, pea protein shouldn’t make you gain weight. Pea protein is low in calories, making it suitable for those consuming a calorie deficit and looking to lose weight.
Pea protein also releases a growth hormone which helps to break down fat tissue. This means that it can help to support fat loss.
However, as I’ll go on to explain, pea protein can cause you to gain weight if it’s used improperly. Also, as pea protein can help with muscle development you may gain weight from gaining muscle.
From reading this article you will understand:
- Whether pea protein makes you gain weight
- How pea protein can cause weight gain
- If pea protein is good for weight loss
- If pea protein is good for muscle building
Table of Contents
Does Pea Protein Make You Gain Weight?
If used properly, pea protein shouldn’t make you gain weight. Pea protein releases a hormone which helps to break down fat tissue, which helps with fat loss. It’s also low in calories. This makes pea protein suitable for those looking to lose weight.
To expand on this further, pea protein is low in calories.
Two scoops of pea protein contains around 80 calories – although this calorie content does vary depending on the brand you’re using. As pea protein is relatively low in calories, it shouldn’t cause you to gain weight.
However, if you consume pea protein improperly this will cause weight gain. Any food can cause weight gain when consumed excessively.
This is particularly the case if you’re in a calorie surplus, meaning you’re consuming more calories than your body is using.
Pea protein also releases a hormone called ghrelin. This hormone is associated with an increase in appetite, which can lead to increased calorie consumption and weight gain.
This can lead people to think that pea protein will cause weight gain.
However, pea protein also releases a growth hormone which leads to the breakdown of fat tissue and promotes muscle development.
In this way, pea protein shouldn’t cause weight gain. Instead, pea protein can help to support weight loss, specifically fat loss.
Whilst pea protein can help with fat loss, it may cause weight gain through muscle gains. Like other protein powders, pea protein is great for muscle development.
Replacing fat tissue with muscle tissue can lead to weight gain and is one of the key reasons why you shouldn’t just focus on scale weight and it’s also the reason you should consider a body recomp rather than a cut or bulk cycle.
How Can Pea Protein Make You Gain Weight?
Pea protein shouldn’t cause you to gain weight. Some people may experience weight gain when using pea protein and there are three main reasons for this.
Firstly, pea protein can cause weight gain if it’s not used properly.
Consuming an excessive amount of pea protein – meaning that you consume more than the recommended amount – can cause weight gain amongst other problems.
This is because consuming a significant amount is going to add substantially to your daily calorie intake. Being in a calorie surplus will cause weight gain over time.
Secondly, people can gain weight when using pea protein if they combine it with high calorie drinks and foods.
It’s common to combine protein powder with shakes, smoothies, or foods like oatmeal. Whilst this adds flavor, it also adds calories!
If you want to avoid gaining weight when using pea protein then it’s important to monitor the amount of calories you’re consuming in the foods and drinks you combine it with.
You should also go for lower calorie options, like almond milk, in shakes if you want to maintain a calorie deficit as milk isn’t a great option when cutting due to its high calorie content per serving.
Thirdly, people may gain weight when using pea protein due to muscle gain. When combined with resistance training, pea protein is great for building muscle.
You’ve probably heard the saying ‘muscle weighs more than fat’.
For some, gaining muscle will lead to an overall weight gain. However, as pea protein also supports fat loss, any weight changes due to muscle gain can be offset by this.
Is Pea Protein Good for Losing Weight?
Pea protein can be good for losing weight for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, pea protein is high in protein. Protein supports what is known as ‘satiety’ which is the full feeling people experience after eating.
Different food types have different satiety levels. In comparison to the other macronutrients (fats and carbohydrates), protein has been shown to keep people fuller for longer.
See also – how to reduce hunger when cutting
Or, even better, check out our guide on how to stop cravings when cutting as satiety can help with hunger but cravings are a different story…
Feeling fuller for longer reduces appetite, meaning you wouldn’t want to eat as much or as often. This can help people to stick to a calorie deficit which will cause weight loss over time.
Pea protein is also relatively low in calories. As it’s low in calories, this makes it suitable for those looking to lose weight.
Although, the amount of calories varies by brand. Some brands add sugar for flavor, which can drastically increase the calorie content.
If you’re looking to lose weight look for low calorie options.
Pea protein contains a similar amount of protein as other popular protein powders like casein and whey powder. Like other protein powders it can be easily incorporated into your diet, in meals, shakes, or other drinks.
If you’re looking to lose weight then knowing what to incorporate your pea protein into is important.
Shakes, for example, can easily become high in calories if they contain lots of milk or high sugar foods like syrups.
The best approach is to combine pea protein with lower calorie foods, such as almond milk or water, and track calorie intake to maintain an overall deficit.
Is Pea Protein Good for Muscle Building?
Pea protein is good for muscle building as it contains protein. Protein is critical for building and developing muscle.
This is because higher levels of protein are needed to support muscle recovery and growth.
Pea protein powder contains high quality protein with around 15 grams of protein per two scoops. Although, as with the calorie content, the amount of protein does vary slightly by brand.
Various studies have shown that when it’s taken in combination with resistance exercise, pea protein can help to build muscles and increase muscle strength.
Therefore, if you’re looking to build muscle then pea protein is a good protein powder to use.
If you want to know more about pea protein, check out this video which compares types of plant protein and whey protein:
Finally, pea protein is an interesting new type of protein powder and people have a lot of questions around it that we often try to cover.
Check out some of the more frequently asked questions like:
