Choosing the Best Protein Powder

Before deciding which protein powder is the best or necessary for your goals, here is a short protein primer to help you understand the thousands of different protein powders from which to choose:

• Whey protein isolate

• Whey protein concentrate

• hydrolyzed whey

• Calcium caseinate

• Egg white

• Whole eggs

• Micellar casein

• Etc, etc, etc ...

What are the benefits of all these different types of protein?

Whey Protein is 20% of total milk protein. Whey is recognized for its excellent amino acid profile, high cysteine content, rapid digestion, and interesting variety of peptides.

Casein protein is 80% of total milk protein. Casein is recognized for its excellent amino acid profile, slow digestion and interesting variety of peptides. Since casein is digested slowly into your bloodstream, you do not use it during workouts or after workouts - you need a fast absorbing protein at these times.

Soy protein is the most controversial of all protein types. While the soy groupies have gone to great lengths to label soy as a super food with magical effects, there is also a good amount of research that suggests soy protein may be contraindicated in many situations. Because of all this confusion, we suggest avoiding soy protein completely and stick to the other listed types.

Protein Blends are generally a combination of several types of protein blends such as whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, egg protein, casein protein, and soy protein. Why would you want a blend anyway? You will receive the full spectrum of proteins and you will receive varying absorption from the different types of protein.

Whey hydrolysates (also known as hydrolyzed whey protein, and is also called peptides), are powerful proteins that are more rapidly absorbed, more than any other, because the body prefers peptides to whole proteins. Hydrolysates produced at very low heat, low acid and mild enzymatic filtration, (the highest in essential and branched chain amino acids) and is potentially the most anabolic for short-term protein synthesis such as 15 minutes before a workout, during a workout and immediately after a workout.

Whey Protein Versus Whey Isolate:

Most whey protein powders that stock the supplement shelves consisting of whey concentrate and mixed with a small portion of whey isolate. Compare the two, whey protein isolate is more expensive than whey protein concentrate because it has a higher quality (more pure) and a higher BV (biological value). Whey protein isolate contains more protein and less fat and lactose per serving. Most whey protein isolates contain 90-98% protein while whey concentrates contain 70-85% protein.

Whey protein isolate is the highest yield of protein currently available, comes from milk. Because of its chemical properties, it is easiest to absorb into your system. Naturally, with its high concentration, it appears that an isolate protein would be the obvious choice instead of a concentrate. But this is an individual decision because the isolate is more expensive, and just because it is cleaner does not guarantee that it will help to build bigger muscles. Its extra concentration may not justify its extra cost.

How can we use these forms to our advantage?

Whey Protein:

Since it is very quickly digested the best time to consume it within six hours after a workout, before a workout or breakfast.

Casein Protein:

As it slowly digested the best time to consume it anytime of the day except breakfast and within six hours after a workout when the body requires a more immediate source.

Soy Protein:

As mentioned, we would avoid this one altogether.

Blend Proteins:

Using a blend will create an anabolic environment from the whey and an antikatabole environment from casein - use this form for periods beyond six hours after the workout window.

Whey hydrolysates:

Using a protein hydrolyzate for your pre, during and after workout nutrition because this will enter your blood stream quicker than any other form.

Money aside, what kind of protein do you think is most beneficial? Why?

Dollar for dollar, protein powders and meal replacement drinks tend to be more cost effective than whole foods. Do not get us wrong, though. Protein powders are still supplements in our book. Supplement means an addition to the diet. We emphasize this because the focus of any diet must be food. Whole food is often preferable to powders because it can offer a full range of nutrients that powders do not.

Most of your dietary protein should come from meat, fish, poultry and eggs. But getting all your protein from whole foods is not always practical or convenient, especially if you have to eat six or more times a day to get your required intake. We will stress to you, for optimal muscle gains, you must limit yourself to no more than three per day or 40% of your meals.

The bottom line is that both are necessary to achieve a complete nutritional balance as well as desired level of protein intake, especially if you're not a big fan of cooking. Do not make the fatal error of thinking protein powders can substitute for proper training and nutrition program.

So what's the bottom line? What is the best protein powder?

For before, during and after the training phase, so long as whey hydrolyzate is the first or second ingredient on the supplement label is probably not enough in the product to influence protein synthesis to reap the optimum yield. As stated, whey isolates are also a very high quality whey and for maximal anabolism isolates should be combined with whey hydrolysates just before, during and post workout phases of your program. The inclusion of small amounts of whey concentrates will not hurt you, but this should not be the first ingredient on the tub of protein powder.

If you are looking for the strongest protein powder to exploit your full growth potential at all other times of the day then use a mixture. You will receive the full spectrum of proteins and you will receive varying absorption from the different types of protein. Using a blend will create an anabolic environment from the whey and an antikatabole environment from the casein.