How many times have you stood in the protein powder aisle, or looked at different proteins online, and said something like, “…what the?”
There are so many different brands, blends, flavors, etc. that it can be difficult to figure out which one YOU personally should be drinking.
Fear no more – because here you will find the best ‘protein powder 101’ cheat sheet.
Deconstructing the Label
The first thing you need to understand is the protein powder label. The very first ingredient that is listed will always tell you the type of protein that is inside, such as fast-acting whey, slower-acting casein, both of which are derived from milk, or plant-based proteins, such as brown rice, pea, or soy protein.
So now let’s break all of these different proteins down.
- Casein Proteins:
80% of the protein in milk is made up from casein proteins. For hundreds of years, casein was primarily used for making cheese because of its coagulating properties. However, this same coagulating property requires your digestive system to work a bit harder to break down said casein protein, which is why this is often referred to as the “slow-release protein”. This is because it takes your body longer periods to digest, resulting in a steady delivery of protein to your muscles and body.
- Whey Protein:
Whey is much different than casein. It digests quickly, which is why it is ideal for post-workout nutrition to jump start muscle recovery with a quick dose of protein.
- Whey Protein Concentrate:
This is generally the least expensive of all of the protein powders, and it also tastes creamier and richer than all of the other protein powders. Sounds too good to be true, right? It is. Whey protein concentrate still contains a decent amount of natural fats and sugars found in milk, making it the ‘dessert’ version of protein powders.
- Whey Protein Isolate:
Whey protein isolate is the ‘smarter’ version of whey protein concentrate. It has significantly less carbs and fats and more protein per scoop than the concentrate, because it has been through an “enhanced filtering process that removes sugar, fat, cholesterol, and lactose – leaving close to 95% protein.”
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- Whey Protein Hydrolysate:
This stuff digests even quicker than isolate. “Hydrolysate protein has been treated with enzymes to break down long proteins into smaller di- and tri-peptide amino acid chains”, meaning that it gives you all of the benefits of being low-fat and low-carb, as well as the short peptide chains that are digested faster than whole proteins.
- BCAA’s:
The other thing to look at on the label is the BCAA, or branched chain amino acid content. There are three BCAA’s in particular to keep an eye out for, because these have all been clinically researched and are proven to improve exercise recovery as well as muscle protein synthesis. The three BCAA’s you want are: Leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
- Plant Proteins:
For those of you who are vegetarian or vegan, or who simply do not digest lactose well, there are plant protein options that are just as good as the animal derived ones. Many of the plant-based protein powders are a combination of blends, because the protein levels in “individual plants often falls short in one or two of the nine essential amino acids. For example, you may find a blend of plant protein derived from: navy beans, brown rice, whole grain quinoa, and pea. This blend provides you with a balanced, complete amino acid profile that can compete with any dairy or animal protein on the market.
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- So, what’s the best deal?
There are a couple of key things to look out for to make sure you are getting the best ‘bang for your buck’. First of all, check the protein per serving. One scoop should typically be around 30 grams or so, but some protein supplements will be sneaky with their labels and list one serving as two or three scoops.
Also look at the amounts of fats, carbs, and proteins. If you are on a low-carb plan intended for weight loss, it is probably a good idea to go with a low- or zero-carb formula. On the other hand, it is beneficial to have some carbs if your goals are oriented around sport performance and muscle growth.
Curated article from:
Men’s Health
