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Omnivorous? Vegan? Makes no difference to muscle building after weight training, study finds

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study asked three questions about muscle protein synthesis in response to a nine-day diet and weight training regimen: First, does the source of protein — plant or animal-based — make any difference to muscle gain? Second, does it matter if total daily protein intake is evenly distributed throughout the day? […]

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Omnivorous? Vegan? Makes no difference to muscle building after weight training, study finds

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study asked three questions about muscle protein synthesis in response to a nine-day diet and weight training regimen: First, does the source of protein — plant or animal-based — make any difference to muscle gain? Second, does it matter if total daily protein intake is evenly distributed throughout the day? And third, does a moderate but sufficient daily protein intake influence any of these variables? The answer to all three questions is “no,” the researchers found.

Their findings are reported in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

Study first author Andrew Askow co-led the research with Burd.

Photo courtesy Andrews Askow

“The longstanding belief or the current dogma was that animal-based protein sources were better, particularly for the muscle-building response,”  said Nicholas Burd, a professor of health and kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who led the new study with former graduate student Andrew Askow. This belief was rooted in science: Previous studies that took muscle biopsies after a single feeding found that an animal-based meal provided more of a stimulus for muscle protein synthesis than a vegan meal, Burd said. “And so, our general hypothesis based on these previous studies was that the animal-based eating pattern would be more effective at supporting the muscle-building response.”

But measurements taken after a single meal might not reflect the effects of consuming a balanced vegan diet over time, Burd said.

One previous clinical trial had looked at muscle responses in vegans and omnivores who ate a laboratory diet and engaged in weight training for 10 weeks. That study found no significant differences in muscle protein synthesis over time. However, volunteers in that study consumed 1.6-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, which is much higher than what is needed to maximize muscle protein synthesis and build bigger muscles with weight lifting, Burd said. It also gave those on the vegan diet the bulk of their plant protein in supplements, which is not a realistic recreation of how vegans normally eat, he said.

Graphic by Michael B. Vincent

Burd and his colleagues wanted to know whether the habitual consumption of a varied vegan or meat-based diet of whole foods — rather than ingestion of just a single meal or getting one’s protein from limited sources — would influence the rate of muscle protein synthesis over time. They also wanted to test the hypothesis that a moderate protein intake — in the range of 1.1-1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day — should be distributed evenly throughout the day to maximize muscle growth.

A previous study from Burd’s lab found that protein intakes higher than 1.1 g/kg per day make no difference to the rate of muscle protein synthesis when weight training. This amount of protein also is more in line with a typical American diet, and testing what people normally eat is important, he said.

For the new study, the team recruited 40 healthy, physically active 20-40-year-old adults. The participants underwent a seven-day “habituation diet” to standardize their nutritional status prior to the clinical trial. Then they were randomly assigned to either a vegan or omnivorous diet. The research team provided all meals, some of which were eaten in the lab while most were consumed at home. Roughly 70% of the protein for the omnivorous meals was obtained from animal sources: beef, pork, chicken, dairy, eggs. The vegan diet balanced the amino acid content of the meals, ensuring that participants consumed complete proteins.  

The vegan and omnivorous groups were each divided again into those who ate roughly the same amount of protein at each of three meals and those whose protein intake varied across five meals throughout the day, with a larger proportion of protein consumed toward the end of the day.

All participants engaged in a series of muscle-strengthening activities in the lab every three days. They also wore accelerometers to keep track of their activity levels when not in the lab.

Each day, participants drank “heavy” water, which was labeled with deuterium, a stable isotope of hydrogen. The deuterium atoms “exchanged with hydrogen atoms within amino acids to make them heavy and served as tracers” that allowed the team to trace their incorporation into muscle tissue, Burd said. Biopsies of tissue from a leg muscle were taken at the beginning and end of the trial.

Burd was initially surprised to see that there were no differences in rates of muscle protein synthesis between those eating vegan or omnivorous diets. He also was surprised to see that protein distribution across the day had no effect on the rate of muscle building given results from past studies of acute responses to dietary interventions and weight training.

“It was thought that it was better to get a steady-state delivery of nutrients throughout the day,” he said. “I also thought that if you’re getting a lower quality protein — in terms of its digestibility and amino acid content — that perhaps distribution would make a difference. And surprisingly, we showed it doesn’t matter.”

Now, Burd says, if anyone asks him what’s the best type of food they should eat for muscle building, he’ll tell them: “It’s the kind you put in your mouth after exercise. As long as you’re getting sufficient high-quality protein from your food, then it really doesn’t make a difference.”

The Beef Checkoff program, overseen by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Board, supported this research.


Editor’s note:  

To reach Nicholas Burd, email naburd@illinois.edu.  

The paper “Impact of vegan diets on resistance exercise-mediated myofibrillar protein synthesis in healthy young males and females: A randomized controlled trial” is available online.

DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003725

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Women’s Volleyball Nations League kicks off week three, Team USA defeats Team Thailand |

Outside hitter Jordan Larson tips the ball during a game against Türkiye at the Women’s Volleyball Nations League on June 2 at College Park Center.  File photo / Natanael Mazariego The final leg of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League preliminary phase began as Team USA took to the stage with five other national teams set […]

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Women’s Volleyball Nations League kicks off week three, Team USA defeats Team Thailand

Outside hitter Jordan Larson tips the ball during a game against Türkiye at the Women’s Volleyball Nations League on June 2 at College Park Center. 



The final leg of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League preliminary phase began as Team USA took to the stage with five other national teams set to play Wednesday through Sunday at College Park Center.

To begin the tournament in Arlington, the VNL opened day one with a 3-2 win by No. 7 Germany over No. 15 Canada.

After a disheartening 3-1 finish to start the preliminary phase in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Team USA bounced back with a 3-1 overall in week two at Belgrade, Serbia. The team has returned to home soil with an No. 8 standing to kick off week three.

Team USA opened this week with a 3-1 win over No. 17 Thailand in the final match of the tournament’s first day at 7:30 p.m. at College Park Center. The victory marked the team’s third straight win in the tournament.

Team USA has undergone significant roster changes and additions to the tournament team, with 10 week one VNL debuts and four returning players.

“I think the players are getting more comfortable on the competition court,” said Erik Sullivan, Team USA head coach. “The systems that we’ve put in place and been working on for the last month, month and a half, are starting to tighten up and be better.”

The first three sets were tightly contested, but Team USA maintained the upper hand and found steady momentum, leading for most of the match. The team held a clear size advantage over Thailand and used it to their benefit throughout the series.

Blocked spikes and hard-driven serves helped set the team up for success, but Thailand stayed within reach using set pieces and coordinated plays to keep pressure on USA.

“They run a very fast and complex offense, which when they’re in system can be really hard to defend,” Team USA libero Lexi Rodriguez said. “I think it took us the first two sets to adjust to their speed, their style of play and it tests you to be a little bit more disciplined and patient.”

Thailand took the second set, but USA held off a late rally to win the third. With momentum on its side, Team USA closed out the match in dominant fashion, taking the fourth set 25-15.

The team held at least a seven-point lead throughout the latter half of the final frame and had two 4-0 runs.

Team USA setter Jordyn Poulter said Thailand is a scrappy and unique team to face. She called the victory a “total team win” and said she was proud of the team’s ability to stay composed and not get caught up in the opponent’s style of play.

The tournament will continue with Team USA facing off against No. 11 Dominican Republic on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at College Park Center.

The U.S. will play two more matches to close out the women’s preliminary phase, facing Canada at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and No. 6 China at 7 p.m. Sunday. All games are available to stream on VBTV.

@kaleivie_



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Sophie Bukovec – Women’s Volleyball

Prior to LBSU: Made an immediate impact at McMaster College as a freshman in 2013, leading her team to an OUA championship and an appearance in the CIS tournament (Canada’s national collegiate tournament) … led the team with 3.15 kills per set in 67 sets played … selected to the OUA All-Star first team after […]

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Prior to LBSU: Made an immediate impact at McMaster College as a freshman in 2013, leading her team to an OUA championship and an appearance in the CIS tournament (Canada’s national collegiate tournament) … led the team with 3.15 kills per set in 67 sets played … selected to the OUA All-Star first team after the season and was the MVP of the OUA Tournament … also averaged 2.22 digs per set on the year … served up 20 aces, which also led the squad.

Team Canada: The youngest players on Canada’s beach volleyball team … she has competed at several international competitions, including the U19 and U21 FIVB World Championships … won the beach volleyball Gold Medal at the Canada Games in 2013 with partner, Ali Wooley … placed ninth at the U19 FIVB World Championship in 2012 … won the Gold medal at the FIVB U21 World Championships in 2014 with partner Tia Miric … Bukovec and Miric were Canada’s first age group winners at an FIVB World Championship … competed in both the U21 and U23 World Championships this summer for Team Canada … finished ninth at the U23 World Championships in Poland with Miric.

Personal: Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada … Also worked as a model in Canada.



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Subscribe to Code Sports for exclusive stories

CODE Sports Lite is free. It entitles you to access games and certain other features, and tools, any of which may change from time to time, on the website and via the app. CODE Sports Pass entitles you to access 8 locked articles in 8 consecutive weeks, starting on the date you subscribe for CODE […]

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CODE Sports Lite is free. It entitles you to access games and certain other features, and tools, any of which may change from time to time, on the website and via the app. CODE Sports Pass entitles you to access 8 locked articles in 8 consecutive weeks, starting on the date you subscribe for CODE Sports Lite, only on the CODE Sports website and not via the app. Not in conjunction with any other offer. Any unused articles at the end of that 8 weeks will be forfeited. Only available with a CODE Sports Lite subscription. At any one time, a person is entitled to no more than one active Pass to CODE Sports. See www.codesports.com.au/subscriptionterms for full details.



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Slew of former Husker stars set to play in Nebraska volleyball’s alumni match

Nate Johnson, Channel 8 LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The Nebraska volleyball team on Thursday released a long list of former Huskers that will play in the inaugural alumni match in August. Former player and assistant coach Jordan Larson headlines the group, as she was a three-time All-American during her career at Nebraska (2005-08). Larson also […]

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Nebraska volleyball takes on Dayton in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.
Nate Johnson, Channel 8

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The Nebraska volleyball team on Thursday released a long list of former Huskers that will play in the inaugural alumni match in August.

Former player and assistant coach Jordan Larson headlines the group, as she was a three-time All-American during her career at Nebraska (2005-08).

Larson also won a National Championship with Nebraska in 2006 and is a four-time Olympic medalist, leading Team USA to gold in 2021.

Her four Olympic medals are tied for the most all-time by a women’s volleyball player.

SEE ALSO: Nebraska volleyball announces details for Fan Day, inaugural alumni match

Along with Larson, two-time All-American and national champion setter Kelly Hunter will play in the alumni match.

Three-time All-American and national champion middle blocker Lauren Stivrins will join the squad, as well as former national champion and All-American libero Kenzie Maloney.

Recent former Huskers Lindsay Krause, Leyla Blackwell and Ally Batenhorst have also committed to playing in the match.

The alumni match will be a standard best-of-five format on Aug. 16 at 6 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

For more information on tickets, visit the Nebraska Athletic Department’s website.

Categories: Husker Sports, Sports





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Total of 2,741 Big West Student-Athletes Named to 2024-25 Commissioner’s Honor Roll

Story Links 2024-25 Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll A total of 2,741 student-athletes from 11 institutions across all 21-conference sponsored sports were named to the 2024-25 Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll.   To be named to the honor roll, student-athletes must be on a team roster in a Big West-sponsored sport and […]

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2024-25 Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll
A total of 2,741 student-athletes from 11 institutions across all 21-conference sponsored sports were named to the 2024-25 Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
 
To be named to the honor roll, student-athletes must be on a team roster in a Big West-sponsored sport and were eligible for competition. There are three categories on the list based on GPA: Honor Roll (3.00-3.20), With Honors (3.21-3.50) and Highest Honors (3.51-4.00). The Faculty Athletics Representatives (FAR) of each of the 11 institutions submitted their lists to the conference office.
 
Big West Commissioner Dan Butterly commented, “The Big West Commissioner’s Honor Roll celebrates more than just academic success — it represents the extraordinary commitment of our student-athletes to excellence in every aspect of their college experience. Competing at the highest level of NCAA athletics while excelling in the classroom is no easy feat, and these individuals have demonstrated what it means to truly embody the spirit of the scholar-athlete. The Big West is proud to recognize their accomplishments and inspired by the discipline, leadership, and future they represent.”

UC San Diego had the most awardees in the conference with 360, with 204 receiving highest honors. UC Santa Barbara (347), UC Davis (273), Cal Poly (266) and Hawai’i (253) rounded out the top five. UC Irvine (236), CSUN (231), Cal State Fullerton (215) and Long Beach State (212) also eclipsed 200 honorees. 

 















School Total Highest Honors (3.51-4.00) With Honors (3.21-3.50) Honor Roll (3.00-3.20)
Cal Poly 266 131 92 43
Cal State Bakersfield 166 89 50 27
Cal State Fullerton 215 94 75 46
CSUN 231 128 67 36
Hawai’i 253 159 57 37
Long Beach State 212 99 62 51
UC Davis 273 134 84 55
UC Irvine 236 113 72 51
UC Riverside 182 71 65 46
UC San Diego 360 204 104 51
UC Santa Barbara 347 173 119 55



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Student athletes head to World University Games

Eighteen University of Auckland students are heading to the World University Games in Germany. Engineering student Flynn Howarth will be representing Aotearoa New Zealand in water polo. Eighteen students from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland have been selected to represent New Zealand at this year’s FISU World University Games in Germany, held from 16-27 […]

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Eighteen University of Auckland students are heading to the World University Games in Germany.

Water polo player in swimming pool

Engineering student Flynn Howarth will be representing Aotearoa New Zealand in water polo.

Eighteen students from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland have been selected to represent New Zealand at this year’s FISU World University Games in Germany, held from 16-27 July.  

 

They’re part of a wider team of 84 student athletes competing across multiple sports at the world’s second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympics. The Games bring together more than 8,500 student athletes and officials from over 150 countries, and often serve as a stepping stone towards Commonwealth and Olympic Games representation. 

 

The University of Auckland athletes, who are all part of the University’s High Performance Support Programme, will compete in disciplines including archery, athletics, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, beach volleyball, fencing, rowing, and water polo. 

 

Four of them share their thoughts ahead of the Games.

Lex Revell-Lewis – Athletics

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

Athletics

Lex Revell-Lewis is a New Zealand 400m record holder.

New Zealand 400m record holder Lex Revell-Lewis got his start in athletics through his local club as a young child. 

 

“Club nights were on Wednesday after school and my parents would take me along to participate in all the fun activities there were to offer. I started at a young age and haven’t looked back,” he says. 

 

At the Games, Lex will compete in the 400m, the 4x400m men’s relay, and the mixed 4x400m relay. He says he’s feeling “excited about the possibilities and curious about the outcomes.”

 

“My hopes are to lower my current national record in the 400m even further, which should put me in medal contention,” he says.

Isabella Matthews – Archery 

Bachelor of Arts

Archery

Isabella Matthews’ love of archery began at age ten.

Isabella Matthews says her love of archery began after reading Suzanne Collins’ dystopian series, The Hunger Games

 

“I was ten … I wanted to be Katniss Everdeen. I wasn’t very good at the sport, but I absolutely fell in love with it. Over time, the sport became its own thing for me, and I was doing it because I wanted to see how far I could go,” she says. 

 

Now representing Aotearoa New Zealand for the fifth time, Isabella will compete in the recurve division at her second major international tournament, just weeks after her first. 

 

“It’s super cool to be able to compete internationally back-to-back. I’m also excited to be competing against some of the world’s best archers and meeting other athletes. My hopes for the future are to win a medal at an international World Archery tournament, whether that’s individually or in a team.”

Arie Rasmussen-Magasiva – Rowing 

Bachelor of Commerce and Global Studies (Conjoint)

Rowing

Arie Rasmussen-Magasiva will be racing in the single sculls event in Germany. Photo: Sharron Bennett

Arie Rasmussen-Magasiva first gave rowing a go in high school after his friends signed up, and he hasn’t looked back. 

 

“I kind of just followed them in and thought it would be good fun, but ever since then I’ve been locked in,” he says. “My family never had a history in the sport and I’d never really heard much about it so rowing was very new to me, but now I can’t imagine what I’d do with my time without it.”

 

Arie will be racing in the single sculls event in Germany, where he’ll be competing internationally for the first time. 

 

“I’m feeling pretty nervous as it’s my first big international competition racing against athletes from countries all over. But I back myself, the training I’ve been doing and the effort I’ve put in, and I’m honestly just excited to give it everything and get as much out of this experience as I can.”

 

Arie’s long-term goal is to eventually make the Olympics. 

 

“LA 2028, that’s the big goal right now. To get there, I’ll need to earn a spot in the New Zealand Elite squad, so I’m going to keep grinding away over the next few years and see if I can make my dream come true.”

Havana Hopman – Rhythmic Gymnastics

Bachelor of Science

Rhythmic Gymnastics

Havana Hopman is a multiple New Zealand rhythmic gymnastics champion.

A multiple New Zealand champion, Havana Hopman first discovered rhythmic gymnastics at the age of seven while doing artistic gymnastics.

“I remember seeing a video of someone throwing a ball and catching it behind their head. I was mesmerised,” she says. “My parents sent me to try it out, and I’ve been in love with the sport ever since.”

Now, Havana is preparing to compete on the world stage.

“I can’t wait to get out there and perform everything we’ve been working on. I’m very proud to be representing the fern on my chest. I hope to just really enjoy it, soak it all up.”

Our other University of Auckland representatives:



Archery:


Ben McLean, Bachelor of Science

Artistic gymnastics:

Daniel Stoddart, Bachelor of Engineering 

Joshua Teitelbaum, Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

Athletics:

Isabel Neal, Master of Physiotherapy Practice

Tommy Te Puni, Master of Commerce

Hannah Adye, Bachelor of Science

Marielle Venida, Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Design (Conjoint)

Jordyn Blake, Master of Property Practice

Beach Volleyball:

James Sadlier, Bachelor of Commerce

Fencing:

Elsie Lins, Bachelor of Global Studies

Matthew Valkenburg, Bachelor of Science

Chantelle May, Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Fine Arts

Helen Wang, Master of Commerce

Water Polo:

Flynn Howarth, Bachelor of Engineering

 

THE EVENT:

The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games, 16-27 July

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Some events will be broadcast live here



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