National Bodybuilding Co. Full Prep Vegan Protein Review: In this review, we’ll look at whether National Bodybuilding Co’s protein can offer the same benefits as your current protein supplement in terms of muscle growth, cellular recovery, and healthy nutrition.
Everyone knows that building and maintaining muscle can be hard. Especially considering all the dieting trends that pull us in several directions at the same time.
With so many diets out there, who do we believe when it comes to bodybuilding nutrition?
Without a doubt, we’ll need protein to build muscle and stay healthy. However, science now shows that plant proteins – pea and rice protein in particular – can be even more effective at stimulating muscle synthesis and boosting fat loss than whey protein.
To drive this point home, the key muscle-building amino acid is L-Leucine. This same amino acid is found in high amounts in rice and pea proteins. When l-leucine is sourced from clean pea and rice protein (like National Bodybuilding Co.’s Protein), you’ll absorb more of this anabolic amino acid into your muscle tissue compared to standard whey (explained in detail below).
With this in mind, it’s clear that bodybuilding nutrition is becoming more and more advanced each year, and with it, so are the supplements. That’s where National Bodybuilding Co. Protein steps in.
Ingredients
The main ingredients in National Bodybuilding Co. Vegan Protein are:
- Organic Pea Protein (12,500mg)
- Organic Rice Protein (12,500mg)
The label is fully transparent, which enables us to see that there are no proprietary blends that hide crucial ingredient facts from us.
Being 100% natural (including the flavors), National’s Bodybuilding Co. ingredient profile offers a refreshing new way of meeting your daily protein intake, with fewer of the unwanted side effects.
The pea and rice protein combination will stimulate muscle recovery and synthesis easier, which translates to more muscle – less bloating.
But you may wonder, how does it compare to whey?
Vegan vs Whey Protein
Studies show that rice and pea proteins are at least on the same level as whey protein. In some cases, the plant proteins provide even better amino acid delivery than the whey version. Pea protein is also shown to be more effective at promoting satiety and improving blood flow. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Interestingly, National Bodybuilding Co’s proteins don’t cause inflammation, nor do they produce side effects that are often linked with whey proteins.
Having better absorption means this protein supplement is more bioavailable, and gets to the muscles faster. Leading to optimal recovery and performance during training.
As for the other ingredients in National Bodybuilding Co., you’ll find cocoa, Sweetly Stevia ® and StevioPure™, as well as natural flavors – all of which are organic.
Nutritional Facts
National Bodybuilding Co. Protein comes with 20 servings per 637g tub. Inside each scoop (31.7g) you’ll find the following:
- 117 calories per serving
- 20.5g of protein
- 2g of carbohydrates
- 3g of naturally occurring fats
- 100mg of Sodium – aside from enhancing flavor, it boosts muscle fullness
- Vitamin D – Provides hormonal support and increased calcium absorption for stronger bones.
- Calcium – Works together with vitamin D to improve bone & joint function.
- Iron – Supports oxygen and nutrient delivery through the blood and into the muscle tissue.
- Potassium – Recharges plasma K+ after training, while also reducing muscle cramps and promoting blood flow.
Flavors
At the moment, National Bodybuilding Co. Vegan Protein comes exclusively in chocolate flavor.
As mentioned, it’s completely natural and naturally sweetened with stevia.
Price and Value for Money?
Each tub (20 servings) costs $40, £30. Considering the advanced manufacturing that’s gone into this protein supplement, this will be excellent value for the money for most people.
Aside from being organic, naturally sweetened and side-effect-free, it also offers equal (and in some cases, superior) results to whey protein, making it ideal if you’re looking for a cleaner, more efficient way of meeting your daily protein goals.
Where to Buy?
You can buy National Bodybuilding Co. Full Prep Vegan Protein on their website:
https://nationalbodybuildingco.com/products/full-prep-vegan-protein
Buying directly from the manufacturer prevents counterfeit products from being sold on eBay, Amazon or other 3rd party sites. These are best avoided as you can’t tell how long the product has been sitting on the shelf.
Conclusion
This concludes our National Bodybuilding Co. Vegan Protein review. On the whole, this protein powder is ideal for anyone who’s serious about their fitness, health, and recovery.
The ingredients in it are start of the art. They’re formulated in such a way that allows your body to absorb more of the nutrients in an efficient way and without side effects-
From improved l-leucine absorption, longer-lasting fullness to improved muscle tissue oxygenation and blood flow, this is currently one of the cleanest vegan proteins on the market.
Follow this link to find deals on their website: https://nationalbodybuildingco.com/products/full-prep-vegan-protein
Pros
- 100% organic whey protein
- Naturally flavored with stevia
- Cleaner absorption
- Superior for fat loss and blood circulation
- Good for the environment (doesn’t require nearly as much raw material as whey to be converted to the final product)
- Produced in cGMP and FDA-approved facilities
Cons
- Not the cheapest protein around
- Only available directly from National Bodybuilding Co’s website
- Only one flavor (natural chocolate)
References
- Joy JM, Lowery RP, Wilson JM, et al. The effects of 8 weeks of whey or rice protein supplementation on body composition and exercise performance. Nutr J. 2013;12:86. Published 2013 Jun 20. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-12-86
- Banaszek A, Townsend JR, Bender D, Vantrease WC, Marshall AC, Johnson KD. The Effects of Whey vs. Pea Protein on Physical Adaptations Following 8-Weeks of High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT): A Pilot Study. Sports (Basel). 2019;7(1):12. Published 2019 Jan 4. doi:10.3390/sports7010012
- Babault, N., Païzis, C., Deley, G. et al. Pea proteins oral supplementation promotes muscle thickness gains during resistance training: a double-blind, randomized, Placebo-controlled clinical trial vs. Whey protein. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 12, 3 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-014-0064-5
- Overduin J, Guérin-Deremaux L, Wils D, Lambers TT. NUTRALYS(®) pea protein: characterization of in vitro gastric digestion and in vivo gastrointestinal peptide responses relevant to satiety. Food Nutr Res. 2015;59:25622. Published 2015 Apr 13. doi:10.3402/fnr.v59.25622
- Li H, Prairie N, Udenigwe CC, et al. Blood pressure lowering effect of a pea protein hydrolysate in hypertensive rats and humans. J Agric Food Chem. 2011;59(18):9854-9860. doi:10.1021/jf201911p
- Kalman DS. Amino Acid Composition of an Organic Brown Rice Protein Concentrate and Isolate Compared to Soy and Whey Concentrates and Isolates. Foods. 2014;3(3):394-402. Published 2014 Jun 30. doi:10.3390/foods3030394