The “Beef Protein” Fad

The “Beef Protein” Fad

 

Beef protein powder is often marketed as a whey alternative—but most products are collagen and gelatin. Learn how beef protein compares to whey in amino acids, PDCAAS, and muscle-building quality.

Beef Protein Powder vs Whey: Is “Beef Protein” Really a Quality Protein Source?

By now, you’ve probably seen beef protein powder marketed as a superior or “cleaner” alternative to whey and milk-based proteins. It’s often promoted as paleo-friendly, dairy-free, and more natural. But the real question is: what is beef protein powder actually made of?

The answer may surprise you—and it’s why not all protein powders are created equal.

What Is Beef Protein Powder, Really?

When most people hear “beef protein,” they imagine filet mignon magically turned into a fine powder. Unfortunately, that’s not reality. Beef is expensive, and using whole cuts of meat for protein powder would make products prohibitively costly.

A closer look at ingredient labels on the top-selling beef protein powders reveals the truth. Most contain:

  • Hydrolyzed beef protein isolate
  • Hydrolyzed gelatin

These ingredients may sound impressive, but hydrolyzed beef protein isolate is simply collagen, and gelatin is derived from collagen. In other words, most beef protein powders are primarily collagen and gelatin made from leftover animal scraps, not whole beef muscle.

Collagen Is Not a Complete Protein

Collagen differs dramatically from complete protein sources like whey or milk protein isolate. It is disproportionately high in:

  • Glycine
  • Proline
  • Hydroxyproline
  • Arginine

While these amino acids play roles in connective tissue and skin health, collagen lacks sufficient essential amino acids, making it a poor choice for muscle building, recovery, and athletic performance.

Amino Acid Profile: Whey vs Beef Protein vs Gelatin

When comparing whey protein isolate to beef protein isolate and gelatin, the similarities between beef protein isolate and gelatin are striking—they are nearly identical.

The biggest differences appear when comparing whey protein to beef protein isolate:

  • Whey contains 34.96 g of essential amino acids and BCAAs per 100 g
  • Beef protein isolate contains only 19.4 g per 100 g

Essential amino acids and BCAAs—especially leucine—are critical for muscle protein synthesis, recovery, and strength adaptation. This is where whey clearly outperforms beef protein powders.

The Glycine Problem: Protein Padding Explained

Another red flag is the extremely high glycine content in beef protein powders. Beef protein isolate contains over 20 g of glycine per 100 g, more than 14 times the amount found in whey protein.

Why does this matter?

Glycine is often used as a filler amino acid. Because protein content is measured by nitrogen levels, manufacturers can inflate the protein numbers on labels by adding glycine—despite it contributing very little to muscle growth or recovery. This practice, known as amino spiking, cheapens the product while misleading consumers.

Protein Quality Matters: Understanding PDCAAS Scores

The Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) is the gold standard used by regulatory agencies to assess protein quality based on digestibility and human amino acid requirements. The highest possible score is 1.00.

Here’s how common protein sources compare:

  • Milk protein isolate: 1.00
  • Whey protein isolate: 1.00
  • Whole beef (steak or ground beef): 0.92
  • Gelatin: 0.00
  • Collagen: 0.00

While real beef has a respectable PDCAAS score, collagen and gelatin score zero. Since most beef protein powders are primarily collagen and gelatin, they provide little to no usable protein for muscle building.

Why “Beef Protein” Labels Can Be Misleading

Because collagen and gelatin originate from cows, manufacturers are legally allowed to label them as “beef protein.” This places the burden on consumers to trust that the product contains meaningful amounts of actual beef-derived muscle protein—which, in most cases, it does not.

If collagen-based products were marketed honestly, they would carry the same disclaimer found on pork rinds and gelatin snacks: “Not a significant source of protein.”

The Bottom Line: Is Beef Protein Worth It?

Beef protein powders are not inherently bad—but they are not equivalent to whey or milk protein isolates for athletic performance, muscle growth, or recovery. Most products on the market rely heavily on collagen and gelatin, which:

  • Lack essential amino acids
  • Contain low BCAA levels
  • Have a PDCAAS score of zero
  • Are often padded with glycine

For those focused on performance, body composition, and recovery, high-quality whey or milk protein blends remain the superior choice.

References:

  1. EASTOE, J. E. (1955). The amino acid composition of mammalian collagen and gelatin. The Biochemical journal, 61(4), 589-600.
  2. Recent developments in protein quality evaluation
  3. Schaafsma, G. (2000). The protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score. The Journal of nutrition, 130(7), 1865S-7S.
  4. http://cancersupplementcenter.com/PDCAAS-Paper-01-28-08.pdf
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