Supplements

What is Beef Protein Isolate? Everything You Need to Know

Written by Robert Iafelice, MS, RDN, LDN
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Elaine Gavalas, ND, PhD

November 26, 2024

Walk into any store that sells protein supplements or do an online search, and you’ll find seemingly limitless types of dairy-based protein powders, whether from whey, casein, milk concentrate, or various combinations. The popularity of these dairy-based protein supplements, particularly whey protein, is attributable to their exceptional muscle-enhancing benefits.

But what if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy?

While a number of plant-based protein powders are available, these plant proteins don’t measure up to the high quality of animal-sourced protein powders. Compared to animal-sourced proteins, plant proteins are less effective at supporting muscle health due to their lower digestibility and lower content of essential amino acids, most notably the special muscle-building amino acid known as leucine (1). 

An egg-based protein powder is a good option, as it is a high-quality animal-sourced protein. However, like milk products, egg protein is a common food allergen and unsuitable for food-sensitive people. 

Fortunately, there is one new high-quality protein option that is free of lactose and allergens, such as dairy, eggs, and soy.

Move over whey protein, and step aside egg protein, make room for beef protein isolate. 

Table Of Contents

What is Beef Protein Isolate?

Protein isolate powder is made by extracting and concentrating the protein from various animal and plant foods. Compared with other protein powders, protein isolates contain the highest amount of protein and are also more digestible (2).

In the case of beef protein isolate muscle fibers from beef—preferably grass-fed—are “isolated” from non-protein components of beef, such as fat and cartilage. Then, the beef isolate is processed down into a fine powder that is close to 100% pure protein (no fats or carbs) and hormone-free (3).

Benefits of Beef Protein Isolate for Muscle & Overall Health

Meat has been a centerpiece of the human diet throughout history. 

Red meat, in particular, is a highly nutrient-dense food supplying complete protein along with important minerals such as iron and zinc. Unlike plant proteins, beef protein contains a full balance of essential amino acids in a proportion that closely resembles that of human muscle (4, 5). Supplementing your diet with increasingly popular beef isolate protein may provide several significant health and performance benefits. 

Increased Muscle Mass

When consumed after resistance training, supplemental beef protein can improve body composition by stimulating muscle protein synthesis. 

In one study, college-aged men and women performed both resistance exercises and high-intensity interval training followed by ingestion of 46 grams of beef protein isolate. After eight weeks, participants experienced a significant increase in muscle mass and a significant decrease in body fat. These benefits were not seen in a control group who consumed a carbohydrate supplement following exercise (6).

Screenshot of an NCBI study titled "The Effects of Beef, Chicken, or Whey Protein After Workout on Body Composition and Muscle Performance"

Faster Exercise Recovery

Beef protein can help heal injured tissues associated with physical activity. Prolonged intense training can cause muscle damage, which can lead to reduced muscle strength and performance. Exercise-induced muscle damage sets off an inflammatory response whereby the immune system initially clears injured cells and then subsequently activates muscle stem cells to regenerate muscle tissue (7). 

Beef protein is a rich source of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). A number of clinical trials have demonstrated that BCAAs (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) can reduce muscle damage and soreness resulting from intense exercise. Through the activation of muscle protein synthesis, the BCAAs were shown to speed muscle regeneration and help resolve the inflammatory response to exercise-induced muscle damage (8, 9).

Beef protein also has high concentrations of glutamine. Glutamine is an amino acid that is especially beneficial during times of physical stress (e.g., trauma or intense exercise) marked by tissue damage. Like the BCAAs, glutamine has been shown to accelerate muscle recovery from resistance training by boosting muscle protein synthesis and suppressing inflammation (10). 

Improved Iron Status

Beef isolate protein powder is a valuable source of iron, which can help counteract anemia potentially resulting from iron losses caused by endurance exercise. Iron depletion may be exacerbated by the current trend towards eating more plant-based foods and less animal-sourced foods. Heme iron from animal foods (found primarily in the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin of red blood cells) has a bioavailability of 40%, while the non-heme iron in plant-based foods is absorbed at a rate of only 2% to 10% (11,12).

Prevention of Muscle Wasting

The loss of muscle mass and strength with age—known as sarcopenia—can lead to frailty, physical disability, and loss of independence in older adults. After the age of 30, you begin to lose muscle mass at a rate of ~ 3% to 8% per decade (13). Since muscle plays a major role in controlling blood sugar, muscle loss also increases the risk of metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity (14). 

Importantly, intermittent periods of inactivity (e.g., illness, injury, hospitalization) can greatly accelerate muscle and strength loss. Even just five days of bed rest can cause muscle loss in the thigh, comparable to about five years of aging (15). 

Supplementation with high-quality protein—such as beef protein—can offset muscle atrophy during periods of inactivity and help retain muscle tissue. Extra protein is especially beneficial for older adults who must contend with anabolic resistance—the diminished ‘muscle-building’ response of aging muscle to protein and exercise. Compared to younger adults, older adults are significantly less capable of recovering lost muscle mass and strength (15).

Weight Loss

Substituting one meal per day with a high-protein (e.g., beef) liquid meal replacement is a common strategy to promote weight loss. In a 12-week trial in overweight and obese adults, consumption of a high-protein, high-fiber meal replacement in lieu of dinner resulted in improved body composition, i.e., fat loss and muscle gain (16).

Beef Isolate vs. Whey Protein: Which is Better?

So, is beef protein just as good as whey protein?

According to a recent review of randomized controlled trials, beef protein and whey protein provide similar anabolic (muscle-building) benefits when combined with resistance training. Both provide a complete amino acid profile and are easily digested (17). Nevertheless, beef and whey proteins each have some unique qualities of their own. 

Collagen

Beef protein, unlike whey protein, actually has a good amount of collagen. Collagen can support the health of skin, bones, tendons, and ligaments—all tissues where collagen is primarily found. But collagen is also a structural component of skeletal muscle (aka meat), accounting for up to 10% of muscle tissue (18).

Beef protein also has very high concentrations of glycine—the predominant amino acid in collagen. In one comparison study, glycine was found to be  ~ 19 X’s greater in beef protein than in whey protein (19). Glycine is necessary for the body’s own production of collagen— the major protein in cartilage. Increasing the intake of glycine may enhance the regeneration of cartilage and help reduce the risk and symptoms of osteoarthritis (20).

Leucine

Among the branched-chain amino acids found in high amounts in animal protein, leucine is the key amino acid that drives muscle protein synthesis and, potentially muscle growth. Whey protein has significantly more leucine than beef protein (13.6% vs. 8.8%) (17). 

However, some manufacturers compensate for this by adding extra BCAAs to beef protein isolate to bolster the leucine content. Even without the addition of extra BCAAs, beef protein still has sufficient leucine to trigger muscle protein synthesis when consumed after resistance exercise. 

Iron

Athletes and exercise enthusiasts often become iron deficient due in part to iron losses via sweat and blood loss resulting from prolonged training (21). Beef protein, unlike whey protein, is a good source of absorbable heme iron, as noted above.

Who Can Benefit from Beef Protein Isolate?

Anyone can drink a beef protein isolate shake to shore up their overall intake of high-quality protein. Nonetheless, beef protein isolate may be especially beneficial for the following groups of people:

  • Athletes/fitness enthusiasts
  • Elderly
  • Overweight/obese
  • Anemic
  • Undermuscled
  • People undergoing short- or long-term bed rest

In addition, beef protein isolate can help support muscle mass and strength in people with sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis. These conditions often coexist (22, 23)  and may be improved by consuming extra high-quality protein along with collagen, as found in beef protein isolate. 

How to Incorporate Beef Isolate Protein Powder Into Your Routine

Beef protein isolate is an exceptional post-exercise drink. Whether you are trying to gain more muscle mass or just maintain, beef protein fits the bill. As a bonus, you may experience less delayed onset muscle soreness from an intense workout session. 

When used as a meal replacement for weight loss, a beef protein shake can help you cut back on calories. Beef protein is easy to mix and blend with other ingredients. Simply blend beef isolate protein with vegetables and/or low-sugar fruits such as berries. Add a source of healthy fats (e.g., a little avocado or nut butter) to make a tasty and satisfying beverage to swap for breakfast. 

If you’re practicing time-restricted eating or intermittent fasting, it’s often difficult to fit all your meals within a 6- or 8-hour window. A beef protein shake or smoothie can be just what you need to squeeze in all your necessary calories and nutrients.

The Bottom Line

Maintaining muscle mass and strength is critical for healthy aging. In fact, muscle strength is one of the strongest predictors of longevity (24).

Beef protein isolate is a high-quality protein that can help preserve your muscle mass and strength, thus adding extra healthy years to your life. It is equally effective as whey protein but without the dairy allergens. 

Compared to plant-based proteins, beef protein consumption causes a much more rapid rise in blood levels of essential amino acids, which then triggers a more robust increase in muscle protein synthesis (25). 

The collagen naturally present in beef protein can help support the health of your skin, bones, and joints. Beef protein even comes with a bit of absorbable iron to help offset iron losses. 

Whether used as a post-workout recovery drink, meal replacement, or stand-alone protein booster, beef protein isolate can be your muscles’ best friend!

Robert Iafelice
Article by

Robert Iafelice

Robert Iafelice, MS, RD, LDN is a functional nutritionist and freelance medical writer. He is the author of Hold On to Your Muscle, Be Free of Disease, a unique perspective on wellness and disease in the context of muscle health.

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    Medical Disclaimer

    This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither Dr. Chad Walding nor the publisher of this content takes responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, or lifestyle program.

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