Are Potatoes a Good Source of Protein? Well, There’s a Catch
Recent research found that consuming potato protein isolate can help speed up the the rate at which your muscles make new protein.
However, it’s not very realistic to extract protein isolate from potatoes. Instead, there are other sources of plant-based protein that contain a similar amount of protein that potato protein isolate does.
Getting enough protein each day helps build and repair your muscles, helping you ride stronger and longer.
Nothing hits the spot quite like the occasional side of fries. Or a baked sweet potato. Or hash browns. The point is, potatoes are pretty great. They can even make for great race fuel. Now, new research suggests these spuds can be a good source of muscle-building protein.
In the study, published in the journal Nutrients, researchers had 24 women in their 20s consume diets that adhered to the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of protein, which is 0.8 grams (g) of protein per kilogram (kg) of bodyweight per day, for 21 days.
The women were also split into two groups. One group consumed an additional potato protein isolate in the form of a pudding twice a day. Each cup of pudding contained 25 g of potato protein isolate, and doubled their daily protein consumption. The other group consumed two placebo pudding cups a day that contained no additional protein.
Additionally, all participants adhered to a workout program that emphasized resistance training, and included exercises such as leg presses and leg extensions.
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The results? The researchers found that during the 21 days, the rate at which muscles made new protein increased in the group that consumed potato protein isolate. The group that consumed the placebo pudding didn’t see this increase.
While these findings seem obvious, the source of protein—potatoes—is pretty unusual. One large potato, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), contains 7.5 g of protein; it’s not exactly a superfood in that area.
In order to concoct a pudding that contained 25 g of potato protein isolate, Stuart Phillips, Ph.D., study author and director of McMaster University’s Centre for Nutrition, Exercise, and Health Research, told Bicycling that he and his colleagues needed to extract the protein from quite a few potatoes.
“You’d have to eat about five pounds of potatoes a day to get that amount of potato protein,” he said.
Though the concept of eating potatoes to build muscle is an interesting one, it clearly isn’t something that’s very realistic for, well, any regular person make or consume. But it does support the case of incorporating more plant-based sources of protein into your diet—even if you don’t fit the participant profile of a 20-something-year-old woman.
According to Natalie Rizzo, M.S., R.D., you can get a similar amount of protein in a single serving of the following foods:
1 cup of edamame: 22 g
1/3 cup of seitan: 21 g
6 ounces (oz) of tofu: 18 g
3 oz of tempeh: 18 g
And while the standard RDA for protein is 0.8 g per kg of bodyweight per day, as we mentioned earlier, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) published a consensus statement in 2019 that stated that athletes with a goal of maintaining their muscle mass should actually consume 1.6 to 2.4 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day (0.7 to 1.1 grams per pound). That would be 105 grams to 165 grams for a 150-pound person. This falls in line with what Rizzo recommends to her clients who are endurance athletes, though it depends on their training levels, she told Bicycling.
That doesn’t mean you need to toss potatoes—of both the white and orange variety—out the window entirely. Just because they aren’t the best source of protein doesn’t mean they don’t offer plenty of other benefits to endurance athletes like cyclists.
“Potatoes are affordable, versatile, and full of starchy carbs, which are great for preride fuel,” Rizzo said. “Both white and sweet potatoes have filling fiber found in the skin. White potatoes have 30 percent of your daily vitamin C, as well as potassium—an important electrolyte necessary for hydration. Sweet potatoes contain the antioxidant beta-carotene, which is beneficial for eye health.”
The bottom line? While potatoes definitely have a place in your diet, there are other plant-based foods out there that are better sources of protein. And who knows? Maybe one day potato protein isolate pudding will be be on the shelves of every grocery store in the future.
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