Guide
Plant protein vs regular protein: what's actually different?
"Regular protein" usually means a dairy or egg-based powder like whey or casein. Plant protein comes from legumes, grains or seeds instead, and the amino acid profile and allergen source differ — but the muscle-building research is closer than the marketing suggests.
No, plant protein and "regular protein" aren't the same thing, though they're not as different as the marketing on either side suggests. "Regular protein" isn't a defined term — people usually mean whey, casein or egg white, all sourced from animals. Plant protein comes from legumes, grains or seeds instead, which changes the amino acid profile and the allergen list, though several trials have found the muscle-building results land closer together than the source alone would suggest.
What people usually mean by "regular protein"
There's no official definition, but in everyday use "regular protein" almost always points to whey or casein (both from milk) or egg white — the protein powders that have been on shelves the longest and carry the largest research base. Plant protein is the newer, broader category: soy, pea, rice, hemp and fava bean are the most common sources, sold as single ingredients or, like ours, as a blend.
Where they actually differ
Source and allergens. Animal proteins carry dairy or egg allergens; plant proteins don't, though some (soy, in particular) carry their own allergen concerns. Fava bean protein isolate, our own primary ingredient, isn't one of the FDA's major allergens, but it hasn't been studied at the same scale as soy or pea.
Amino acid profile. A 2020 review scored proteins using the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS), the current standard for protein quality. It classified whey as "high quality" (DIAAS ≥ 75) and casein and egg as "excellent quality" (DIAAS above 100). Fava bean, pea, rice and oat protein all fell into a lower tier the review calls "no quality claim" (DIAAS below 75). Our label doesn't print an amino acid breakdown for this product, so we can't say exactly where our specific blend of fava bean protein isolate and fermented yeast protein scores — only that fava bean protein in general sits in that lower DIAAS tier in the literature.
What the muscle-and-strength trials found. A 2021 meta-analysis pooled 16 trials comparing protein sources during resistance training and found animal protein produced a small edge in percent lean mass gained in adults under 50, but no overall difference in absolute lean mass or strength between plant and animal protein sources. A separate meta-analysis focused specifically on soy protein found it produced muscle and strength gains similar to whey or other animal proteins. Both results are about protein sources broadly — soy and mixed plant proteins in the pooled trials — not our specific fava bean and yeast blend, which hasn't been tested head-to-head against an animal protein in a published trial we could find.
Our plant protein
Electric Tiger Plant Protein (Chocolate) is 21 g of protein per two-scoop serving (34.7 g), from fava bean protein isolate and YESTEIN™ fermented nutritional yeast protein — no proprietary blend, every ingredient printed on the panel. 110 calories, 1 g of sugar, 24 servings per tub, as low as $54.47 a bottle on subscription ($2.27 a serving).
Questions people ask
Is plant protein as good as regular protein for building muscle?
The pooled trial evidence on protein sources broadly found a small edge for animal protein on percent lean mass in adults under 50, with no overall difference in absolute lean mass or strength. Soy protein specifically has matched animal protein in its own trials. Nobody has tested our specific blend against a whey or casein product directly.
Does plant protein have the same amino acids as regular protein?
Not in the same amounts. DIAAS scoring places whey, casein and egg in higher quality tiers than fava bean, pea, rice and oat protein. Our label doesn't print an amino acid profile, so we don't describe this product as "complete" — a term that only means something when the numbers are shown.
Can plant protein completely replace regular protein in my diet?
Protein is protein for the purpose of hitting a daily gram target; the trials above suggest total protein intake matters more than source for most outcomes measured. If you're relying on a single plant protein product as your main source, the amino acid quality differences above are worth knowing rather than assuming they don't apply.
Related reading: plant protein vs whey: what actually differs and how to choose a good plant protein.
Sources
- Comprehensive overview of the quality of plant- And animal-sourced proteins based on the digestible indispensable amino acid score A 2020 review classified whey as a "high quality" protein by DIAAS score, while fava bean protein fell below the quality-claim threshold used in the same review, in the same tier as pea, oat and rice protein.
- Animal Protein versus Plant Protein in Supporting Lean Mass and Muscle Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials Across 16 pooled trials, animal protein built slightly more lean mass than plant protein in adults under 50 lifting weights, though overall lean mass and strength gains didn't differ by protein source.
- No Difference Between the Effects of Supplementing With Soy Protein Versus Animal Protein on Gains in Muscle Mass and Strength in Response to Resistance Exercise In 266 adults training with weights, soy protein built muscle and strength about as well as whey or other animal protein.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
