Evidence Base

The studies behind every answer.

Original papers. Full analysis. Every finding linked to its DOI so you can check our work.

Five ways to check and one answer nobody expected Researchers tested vegans and meat-eaters with five independent muscle measurements over 12 weeks. The results agreed — but the part nobody mentions changed the whole conversation. 2:18 · Hevia-Larraín et al. · 2021 · Sports Medicine · n=38

Your Whey Premium Bought You a Rounding Error A research team pooled every qualifying trial ever published on plant versus animal protein for muscle, all 43 of them. The soy-versus-whey data rewrites the gym-floor debate. 2:47 · Reid-McCann et al. · 2025 · Nutrition Reviews · n=1,538

The MPS Gap Was Measured. It Was 0.004. 12 studies compared the muscle-building spike from plant vs animal protein. The gap sat at the 0.35th percentile of variation, measured in a window covering one-fifth of the day. 2:22 · Mendes et al. · 2026 · Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics · n=321

Soy and Testosterone: What the Dose-Response Data Shows A meta-analysis of 11 trials tested soy isoflavones from 49 to 164 mg/day. Testosterone showed zero response at every dose. Estradiol had a threshold, above food intake. 2:22 · Rajaie et al. · 2025 · Food Frontiers · n=489

The Supplement That Works Harder When You Skip the Steak Same dose, more than double the response. A systematic review of nine studies reveals why vegetarian muscles handle creatine differently — and where the evidence stops being clear. 3:05 · Kaviani et al. · 2020 · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · n=355

Three Plants That Matched Milk in a Lab A wheat + corn + pea blend delivered 91% fewer amino acids to the blood — and built the same amount of muscle. The scoreboard on every protein tub measures the wrong thing. 2:00 · Pinckaers et al. · 2022 · The Journal of Nutrition · n=24

Studies

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