This type of fungal-derived protein could be the way we help build muscle sustainably in the near future. In a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 20 males (average age = 22) completed two bouts of resistance training. They ingested milk protein after one session and mycoprotein after the other—both with the same level of leucine, an amino acid that is especially important in stimulating protein synthesis.

It turns out that post-exercise muscle protein synthesis rates were higher in response to mycoprotein than to milk protein. These results need to be replicated in other populations, including female lifters.

See also: The Protein Shift: Plant-Based Options