What is Beef Protein Isolate? Everything You Need to Know

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).

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).

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).

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.

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.

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.