Comparison of Whey Versus Almond Protein Powder on Nitrogen Balance in Female College Students; The California Almond Protein Powder Project (CAlmond-P3)

Abstract

Plant-based diets have become increasingly popular in the past decade, with approximately 11% of Americans self-identifying as vegan or vegetarian and many others trying to reduce meat consumption. Due to increasing interest, the plant-based food market has significantly expanded, with several innovative products serving as alternatives to animal-based products. One such example is almond protein powder, a new protein supplement created as an alternative to whey protein. Due to the novelty of almond protein products, little is known regarding how well the protein supplement supports nitrogen metabolism. The effects of both an almond-based protein beverage and a whey-based protein beverage on nitrogen balance are investigated in the work presented herein. Twenty female college students aged 20–25 years were randomly assigned to consume either an almond- or whey-based protein drink twice daily for one week; 24-h urine collection was performed at the baseline and endpoint of the 7-day treatment period and nitrogen balance was assessed. Body composition and hydration status were also assessed. Both protein sources (almond and whey) were able to notably improve nitrogen balance, thus indicating that almond protein powder may be a functional plant-based alternative to whey protein powder and may be of interest in future research regarding muscle mass and body composition improvement.

Protein Intake in NCAA Division 1 Soccer Players: Assessment of Daily Amounts, Distribution Patterns, and Leucine Levels as a Quality Indicator

“…While whey protein supplements are commonly recommended due to their high leucine content, digestibility, and wide commercial availability [ 3 ], there is growing interest in vegan and vegetarian diets among athletes [ 51 ]. To that end, recent work by Maykish et al [ 52 ] suggests that almond protein powder may represent a functional alternative to whey protein. Indeed, to increase the likelihood of adherence, dietary programs should maximize user feasibility by tailoring to the personal preferences and tolerances of the athlete to the extent possible.…”

A review of alternative plant protein sources, their extraction, functional characterisation, application, nutritional value and pinch points to being the solution to sustainable food production

“…Hence to end up with proteins that are different in protein profile, quality and functionality, extraction and purification are usually carried out. The extraction of proteins from various plants such as pea (Munialo et al ., 2014a), lentil (Jarpa‐Parra, 2018), almond (Maykish et al ., 2021) and lupins (Pelgrom et al ., 2013) among others have been carried out. Extraction and purification of the protein using different methods may result in a different protein profile, quality and functionality (Ismail et al ., 2020).…”

Assessing Dietary Nutrient Adequacy and the Effect of Season—Long Training on Body Composition and Metabolic Rate in Collegiate Male Basketball Players

“…The information from the food records were analyzed by Food Processor III Nutrition Software version 8.6 (ESHA Nutrition Research, Salem, OR, USA). Personalized recommendations for each player were derived based on Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) determined by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, previously known as the Institute of Medicine and National Academy of Sciences [11], and as described peviously [12]. Each participant's height, weight, age, sex, and activity level were considered when estimating the requirements.…”