I think I just won the 'most boring title possible' contest that I was having with myself.

Back in my get huge, lift things up, and score with girls stage (I did at least get big and lift stuff up), I was massively neurotic about getting enough protein to fuel my desires of anabolism.

Apparently, my scorn and derision regarding soy protein as an acceptable source of bigness building blocks was misplaced. The old protein efficiency ratio (PER), was a way to classify sources of protein according to how efficiently they provided the body with protein...ranging from a zero, to one (one being the most efficient).

The PER was calculated on the efficiency of protein types for the growth of baby rats! Woah. Soy protein comes out relatively poorly using this ratio, because baby rats require a greater percentage of a particular amino acid (methionine), than do humans. Rat weightlifters should therefore avoid soy protein as a sole source of supplemental protein.

A newer ratio (1993, U.S FDA), the Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) actually applies the critial efficiency measure to the somewhat more relevant animal; the human. Now SOY shines forth as a truly indomnitable foe in the arena of protein provision. Next time thefez starts in with the teachings of soy (SOY! SOY! SOY! soy makes you strong! strength crushes enemies! SOY!) and its inherent enemy crushing through strength attributes, you'll know to believe him/it/her/them.

     Protein Source                      PDCAAS
 
     Soy protein isolate                 1.00
     Casein (milk protein)               1.00
     Egg white                           1.00
     Beef protein                         .92
     Pea flour                            .69
     Kidney beans (canned)                .68
     Pinto beans (canned)                 .63
     Rolled oats                          .57
     Lentils (canned)                     .52
     Peanut meal                          .52
     Whole wheat                          .40
     Wheat gluten                         .25

Naturally, as stated, this is for a soy protein isolate. Soybeans themselves would be much lower on this scale. Furthermore, an increased consumption of protein alone will not do anything but give you more calories to complain about. It may or may not be useful if your metabolism is tending towards the anabolic due to a well conducted exercise plan; this is still a point of contention. As a vegetarian, I'll err on the side of providing some extra high quality protein just in case, since my diet tends towards the lazily administered at best.