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Whey Protein vs Plant Protein Powder: Which is Better?

Written by Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC on August 4, 2025

Written by Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC on August 4, 2025 — Reviewed by Kellie Blake

• Side-By-Side Comparison|
• How They’re Made|
• Essential Amino Acid Content|
• Muscle Building, Strength, & Recovery|
• Metabolic Health|

Protein is having its time in the spotlight—and for good reason. Higher protein intake has been found to have a number of health benefits, including weight loss 1, healthier aging 2, improved metabolic health 1, and better gut health 3. But eating enough protein can seem like a challenge when you’re busy. This is where a high-quality protein powder makes a handy meal replacement. But which is the best when it comes to whey protein versus plant protein? 

Whey & Plant Protein Powder Compared

Let’s jump right in with a chart detailing several features of each protein: 

Whey protein powder has an excellent essential amino acid (EAA) profile and supports muscle growth and repair 4 6 7. Plant proteins, when combined or consumed in higher amounts, can offer similar muscle health benefits 10 11. Next, let’s take a look at how both whey and plant-based protein powders are made.

How Are They Made?

Both whey protein and plant-based proteins go through special processing to become the convenient powder you add to your morning smoothie or post-workout shake. 

Whey Protein Powder

Whey protein is a by-product of the cheese-making process 12. Enzymes are applied to cow’s milk to separate it into whey (20%) and casein (80%). The casein is used to make cheese (but can also be further processed into a supplement powder), and then more enzymes are added to the whey to extract proteins that are high in all three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs – essential amino acids that stimulate muscle protein synthesis and prevent protein breakdown) 12 13. The extracted protein is dried to create whey protein powder.

Whey protein typically comes in three forms: concentrate, isolate, or hydrolysate 14. Each varies in protein content, lactose content, price, processing, digestibility, and taste. Here’s a chart detailing the specifics about each type of whey protein 14 15 16 17:

Plant Protein Powder

Plant protein powders (also called vegan protein powders) are made by processing many types of plants, such as:

• Rice
• Soy
• Peas
• Hemp
• Chia

For example, pea protein is made by drying and grinding peas into flour, extracting fiber and starch, and drying the remaining protein-rich paste into a fine powder 18. 

Amino Acid Content

One consideration in the whey protein vs plant protein debate involves amino acid content. You can think of amino acids as the building blocks of proteins. When you digest protein, it’s broken down into individual amino acids and then reformed into other proteins that help your body function properly 19. 

While there are hundreds of amino acids, nine of these are essential amino acids (EAAs) that are not produced by the body and must come from food. Here is a table that breaks down the EAA percentage of plant and animal protein powders.  

As you can see, whey protein has the most EAAs of all plant and animal proteins. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s superior or that you should only consume animal-based proteins. In fact, a combination of proteins from both plants and animals is likely to provide the most benefit 20.

Branched Chain Amino Acids

Of the nine  EAAs, three are considered branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)—leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Like the other EAAs, BCAAs function to form proteins, but they may also stimulate muscle protein synthesis and prevent protein breakdown, making them pretty handy for people who want to build and maintain muscle mass 13. 

When it comes to whey protein vs plant protein powders, 100 grams of whey protein has sufficient amounts of all EAAs, including BCAAs. In contrast, the same amount of pea protein lacks three of the EAAs—methionine, isoleucine, and valine—two of which are BCAAs 4. 

In short, plant proteins can also promote muscle growth, but you’ll have to eat a lot more to match whey’s EAAs and BCAAs.

Muscle Building, Strength, & Recovery

Animal-based protein, especially whey, may be the best for improving muscle gains when combined with strength training 6 7. 

• One meta-analysis (highest-quality study of studies) found that animal proteins improved lean muscle mass more than plant proteins, especially in younger individuals 6.
• Another meta-analysis found that supplementing with whey protein led to significantly more muscle growth when compared to soy protein 7. 

However, other studies show that plant-based proteins may be just as effective for muscle building and strength. One meta-analysis comparing the effects of whey protein versus soy protein found both led to significant and similar improvements in strength when combined with strength training 11. A couple of smaller studies found:

• Similar improvements in body composition, muscle thickness, strength, and exercise performance with both whey and pea protein 9.
• Similar increases in muscle growth and strength in young, active males with both pea and whey protein. Interestingly, this study also found that the weakest participants in the pea protein group experienced significantly more muscle growth than those in the whey protein group 8.

Whey protein may have the advantage when it comes to muscle recovery, though. One randomized controlled trial (gold-standard type of study) found whey protein significantly reduced muscle damage after intensive resistance training, whereas the same amount of pea protein did not 21. 

Let’s move on to the effects of plant- and animal-based proteins on metabolic health and appetite.

Whey Protein vs Plant Protein: Metabolic Health and Appetite 

Both plant- and animal-based proteins, whether from food or powders, seem equally effective at improving weight and metabolic health. A systematic review (methodical account of studies) found that pea and other plant-based proteins can improve 22:

• Satiety (sense of fullness)
• Blood sugar levels
• Cholesterol levels
• Muscle health
• Body weight
• Blood pressure

And, randomized controlled trials have found:

• Pea protein and pea hull fiber can be effective for blood sugar control 23.
• Yellow pea protein can suppress appetite and lower glycemic (blood sugar) response 24.
• Both whey and pea protein isolates curb appetite, increase calorie burn, and decrease calorie intake 25.

Both Whey and Plant Protein Powders Can Meet Your Protein Needs

A higher-protein diet can help with everything from weight and metabolic health to muscle gain and healthy aging. A high-quality protein powder, in addition to a whole-foods diet, can be a great way to meet your protein needs. The research seems to suggest that both whey and plant-based protein options are effective.

Although whey protein may have the advantage when it comes to building and repairing muscle, both animal and plant-based protein sources seem similarly effective for improving weight and metabolic health. In general, you need to consume more of a plant-based protein in order to get the same amount of essential amino acids found in whey protein. But if you don’t tolerate whey protein or you just don’t want to use animal products, plant-based powders like soy and pea are still good options 4.

If you need personalized guidance on your health and fitness journey, contact us at the Ruscio Institute for Functional Health.

The Ruscio Institute has developed a range of high-quality formulations to help our clients and audience. If you’re interested in learning more about these products, please click here. Note that there are many other options available, and we encourage you to research which products may be right for you. The information on DrRuscio.com is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.