Even a Low (24g) Daily Dose of Rice Protein Is as Good as Whey for Muscle Building and Improving Athletic Performance

Earlier studies had shown that larger daily doses of rice protein — 48g or 75g — supported muscle maintenance and growth in resistance-trained males to a degree comparable with whey protein. Skeptics questioned whether that result depended on using such a large dose. This study set out to test whether a smaller, more typical 24g daily dose of rice protein would hold up the same way after 8 weeks of resistance training.

Twenty-four healthy, resistance-trained males were split evenly into two groups, consuming either 24g of rice protein or 24g of whey protein daily throughout an 8-week standardized weight-training program. Subjects trained four days a week. On training days, participants drank their protein dose within an hour of finishing their workout; on rest days, within an hour of going to bed. Researchers tracked changes in anthropometrics, body composition, and strength performance from baseline through week 8.

Both groups saw significant improvements over the 8 weeks — in body mass, total body water, lean mass, fat-free mass, bench press 1-rep max, and leg press 1-rep max.

Oryzatein® rice protein can be substituted one-to-one for whey protein across a range of dose sizes in products designed to build or maintain muscle mass. This adds further weight to a broader conclusion: plant proteins like rice protein can be just as effective as whey for sport nutrition applications.

Despite technically being an "incomplete" protein, and even at a lower, more standard 24g dose, rice protein meaningfully increased both muscle mass and athletic performance — matching whey step for step.