How To Choose The Best Protein Powder

Most guys and girls who are into bodybuilding and working out in the gym mostly use protein powders. These are consumed to boost the protein requirement needed to support the growth of the muscles. Also, protein powders can be used to help lose weight and improve performance in many athletic activities.

But before anything else, you have to know first what’s the reason behind consuming protein powders.

The primary purpose of protein powders is to address protein deficiency in your body. If you’re not getting enough protein, you may experience the following symptoms:

• You may be losing muscle mass, which can cause your metabolism to drop
• You may be having skin, nail, and hair problems
• You may easily break your bones

According to experts, the ideal protein intake is 0.36 grams per pound of your body weight. And if you’re building muscle, the ideal intake would be 1.5-1.7 grams per pound of your body weight.

What Are The Types Of Protein Powders?

Protein powders have several kinds to pick from, with each having different roles and functions for your body. The most common types are whey, pea, egg, and milk protein.

• Whey Protein

Whey protein is the most well-known protein source for many gym-goers, and for a good reason. It’s shown to be effective in promoting fat loss and muscle growth. Compared to other types of protein, whey is the easiest to digest and absorbed by your body, making it perfect for consuming immediately before and after you work out.

Also, whey contains approximately 20 grams of protein and has the highest BCAA (branched-chain amino acid) content compared to other protein powder sources. BCAA is essential for muscle maintenance and growth.

If you’re looking for the type of whey protein you should purchase, check out the best myprotein flavour and others to see which you prefer.

• Casein Protein

Casein is a protein from milk. This is a slow-digesting one, so the best time to take it would be before you sleep. As you sleep, the casein is slowly breaking down and being consumed by your body. Casein may take around six hours before your body fully absorbs it.

It may be slow-digesting compared to whey, but it has a good amount of BCAA, reducing the breakdown of muscle and protein.

• Egg Protein

Egg protein is considered at the top of its class due to its high biological value (BV), meaning it has all the amino acids essential for protein synthesis. Like whey, egg protein can be easily absorbed by your body.

Furthermore, a protein powder with egg as its primary source is usually from the isolate of egg-white protein, which is an excellent option for those who are allergic to milk.

• Pea Protein

Pea protein is famous for its vegan and vegetarian users. It’s also hypoallergenic and has a 98% digestion rate, which means that your body can use most of its amino acid per serving. Thus, making pea protein the best plant-based protein among its competitors, which are usually hard to digest.

Why Do You Need A Protein Powder?

When choosing a protein powder, it’d be best to match it according to your needs and goals, including:

• Goal To Build Muscles

If you’re planning to build muscles, choose a protein source with a high BV and is easily digested by your body. In this case, whey is the best option.

• Goal To Lose Weight

If you want to lose some weight, choose blends with no added sugars as much as possible. Avoid BCAA-rich powders as they promote weight gain and muscle building.

• Goal To Be Vegan Or Vegetarian

If you’re vegan or vegetarian, avoid powder with milk proteins, meaning no whey or casein for you. You may opt for pea or other plant-based protein.

• Goal To Maintain Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you should choose powders with no sugar added as much as possible, and look for powders with low carb content of around 5-10 grams per serving.

• Goal To Stay On Budget

If your goal is to save more bucks, then you should buy protein powders in the tub instead of shakes, which is far more expensive if you compute.

When To Take Protein Powders?

The following are the recommended times to take protein powder:

• Breakfast

This helps accelerate and stimulate muscle-protein synthesis, so take at least 25-30 grams every breakfast. This depends on your size and target within the day.

• Pre- And Post-Workout

This will minimize muscle-protein breakdown and maximize muscle-protein synthesis, so take at least 25-30 grams of protein immediately before or after the workout.

• Before Going To Bed

As your body moves toward muscle-protein breakdown, it’d be beneficial to take casein to maintain muscle-protein synthesis as you rest for the night.

Final Words

If you’re planning to try a new protein powder, make sure to pay attention to how your body reacts. Also, don’t forget that these are only supplementary and shouldn’t replace the foods that should be providing most of your daily protein needs such as meats and poultry. Consider the ideas mentioned here as you choose the best protein powder.