Considering the amount of
protein supplements, it can get confusing when you’re trying to find the right
one on the market. Don’t be fooled by the huge selection and find the best one
for your needs. Whey, plant-based or beef? Find out in our post.
Whey
protein
This is
the king of protein powders. You cannot go wrong with this one. It is a
by-product of the manufacturing of cheese. It contains all the essential amino
acids, it’s easy to absorb and it’s also friendly on your wallet.
– Why protein concentrate (WPC) – It’s the least processed form of
whey protein. The concentrates available contain between 75 to 89 % of protein.
The rest are fats and carbs. It’s not suitable for those that are lactose
intolerant, or they are allergic to milk.
– Whey protein isolate (WPI) – Thanks to better processing, it
gets absorbed faster and easier than the concentrate. It contains about 90 % of
protein, a minimum of fats and carbs. It’s also good for those athletes that
are allergic as part of their pre-competition prep.
– Whey hydro isolate – It is also called pre-digested protein
because they are subjected to a treatment of enzymatic digestion. It gets
digested extremely fast. We can say it’s basically pure protein, no fats, not
carbs. The price for this “pureness” is bitter taste and higher price.
Casein
Protein
Just like
whey, casein is made of milk. The biggest difference between the two is that casein
gets digested slower. Depending on the amount, it can take up to 6 hours. This
makes it an ideal snack or night protein before you got to sleep, it’ll help
you slow down catabolism. It’s rich in calcium, BCAA and glutamine. It aids
regeneration and muscle growth. It’s suitable for those that have allergies or
digestive problems.
Multiple-Component
Protein
As the name
suggests, it is a mix of various sources of protein. You can find combo od whey
concentrate and isolate but also a mix of plant-based protein with animal-based
one. Its biggest advantage is that it
gets absorbed slowly, it’s also wallet friendly. Similarly, to casein, you can you use to substitute a meal during the
day.
Beef
Protein
It’s a
complex protein that goes through a process of hydrolysis. It doesn’t contain
fats, allergens, lactose, or milk protein. Thanks to hydrolysis, it’s easy to
digest and absorb. It’s rich in protein and collagen that keeps your joints and
tendons. However, it’s
bitter. If you want better flavor, it’ll cost you more. If you decide to get beef protein, make sure you’re not getting the one
made of mainly tendons and bones instead of meat – this way you can end up with a joint
supplement instead of high-quality protein.
● Dinner tip filled with protein: Fitness salmon with rice noodles
Egg
Protein
Egg
protein powder is mostly isolate of egg whites. Just like animal-based proteins
(beef and whey) it contains all the essential amino acids which makes it a
complex protein. It gets digested a little bit faster than casein, about 2
to 4 hours. It’s ideal as food replacement or additional ingredient to your
baking. It’s not so suitable if you need a fast source of protein during a
workout. The biggest disadvantage is that it can be harder to digest for
some people and cause bloating.
Vegan
Protein
Vegan
protein powders are plant-based. Only soy and hemp protein contain enough
essential amino acids. On the other hand, producer combine various
plant-based protein to create the perfect complex protein supplement. Plant-based
protein have a nice taste, but the cheap ones still have a texture like sand
and are too thick in consistency.
Soy
Protein
Soy protein is one of few plant-based protein that
contains all essential amino acids. There have been discussions about soybean whether
it’s suitable for men and whether or not it raises bodily estrogen ratio. This
myth has been debunked by scientific studies and by vegan athletes themselves.
The
truth is that it does contain high amount of phytate acid. It impairs the
body’s absorption of iron, zinc, and calcium. If you don’t get your protein
exclusively from soybean products like tofu, tempeh, soy meat and other, you
have nothing to worry about. On contrary, you
can enjoy many health benefits like lower bad cholesterol, better blood sugar
regulation, and a lot of calcium and zinc. Moreover, it has the fastest absorption
time of all the plant-based proteins.
Pea
Protein
It’s made
of yellow peas. However, it has the
lowest amount of methionine, an essential amino acid. You should take it as one
of many sources of protein during a day, and it shouldn’t be the main one. If you want to create a complex
plant-based protein mix, add rice protein and you have created complex protein
mix. The disadvantage is that it can make you bloated.
● Read: Are
you sure that you use the right supplements? Check our guide to basic supplements!
Rice
Protein
Rice
protein usually contains high amounts of antioxidants, vitamins B and E, and a
lot of fibre. It contains about 70 % of protein. Its biggest advantage is that it’s hypoallergenic. Most of the
customers agrees that among the plant-based protein powders, rice protein is
the one with the best flavour. Rice protein has high amounts of amino
acids with sulphur like cysteine and methionine but low amount of lysine. Pea
protein has low amounts of cysteine and methionine but high amount of lysine.
This is the reason why these two proteins get very often mixed together.
Hemp
Protein
Hemp proteins are complex – they
contain all amino acids necessary for muscle recovery, and fir regulation of
the nervous system and brain functions. However, we must add that it has lower
amounts of lysine and leucine. For comparison, whey contains 10 g of leucine per 100 g, pea
protein contains 8 g of leucine per 100 g, and hemp protein contains only 3 g of
leucine per 100 g. This protein is hypoallergenic and has high amounts of
calcium, magnesium, and iron.
At the end,
we would like to give you some advice on how to choose the right protein
powder:
– Set
a budget, decide how much money you want to spend ahead
– Consider
how sensitive is your digestion
– Are
you allergic to certain food groups?
– If
you want to lose weight, go for isolate or hydro isolate
– If
you want to gain muscle, you get something cheaper like plant-based protein or mass
gainer (supplement with lower amount of protein and high amount of carbs
intended for muscle gain)
– If
you are beginner and you aren’t allergic to anything, get multi-component
protein powder
– Are
you a vegan or do you prefer plant-based foods?
– Do
you prefer higher quality or better flavour?
If you got
here, and you honestly answered our questions and followed our advice, you know
which protein powder is the one for you. Good luck with achieving your fitness
goals an remember: No magic powder will go to the gym for you, work hard at the
gym!
