There are so many different forms of protein…whey isolate, whey concentrate, plant protein, egg protein, casein, hydrolyzed protein, soy protein, rice protein, milk protein isolates…which one do you choose and which one is the best protein source? Well this highly depends on when you’re taking it and what your goals are. so in this video I”m going to break down which protein is best based for your goals & your finances because some are much more expensive than others.
Let’s start first with a very common one… Whey protein Isolate. Whey Isolate and whey protein in general is one of the best protein powders you can take directly after your workout. The reason for this is because your body can digest this protein very very fast, like in under 30 minutes fast. In case you don’t know, all forms of whey protein come from cows milk. Whey protein isolate has been filtered in such a way that it gives you one of the purest forms of protein on the market. Whey protein in general contains the richest sources of BCAAs, which include the three amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine. All three of these are critical for muscle growth and recovery. This is why even if your getting a protein blend with different types of protein you want to make sure whey protein isolate is at the top of the ingredients list. Pure whey isolate will also have less than 1% lactose, so many lactose intolerant people are able to digest whey isolate much better.
Whey protein concentrate is different from isolate because it goes through less filtering, which means fewer of the natural carbohydrates found in milk are removed. The result is a whey product that is much lower in protein content and is usually higher in carbs. The big benefit of getting concentrate is that its usually much cheaper than isolate, which is what makes it one of the most popular types of protein. I would be careful though when trying to just go for the cheapest protein powder. Some manufacturers go through questionable protein suppliers. Their protein powder likely contains far less protein and far more carbs and fat than what is even claimed on the label. On top of that these cheap protein powders may also contain impurities and contaminants. Next we have hydrolyzed whey protein, which is pretty much the absolute best protein you can take after your workout, but it’s also the most expensive. This protein is already broken down into even smaller particles so your body will be able to absorb this even faster than whey concentrate or even whey isolate.
When the protein from milk gets separated you have about 20% whey protein and 80% casein protein. Casein protein is another great source, full of all the amino acids you need, but even though it comes from milk it is very different from whey. Casein is the type of protein shake that you would want to take in the middle of the day as a meal replacement, and also at night before bed. The reason for this is because casein is much slower digesting than whey sometimes taking 5-7 hours to digest. It won’t spike your insulin the way whey protein will, which doesn’t make it the best protein to have after a workout, but it will give you a constant long lasting steady stream of protein & amino acids to help your muscles recover. If you want a good mix of whey and casein you can get a milk protein concentrate, which contains both in about and 80/20 ratio.
Just like whey, egg white protein has a complete essential amino acid profile, which promotes optimal recovery from challenging workouts. Egg white protein was the most popular type of protein supplement for many years before milk proteins surpassed its popularity due to their better taste and lower cost. This type of protein is great for people that are lactose intolerant because eggs have the second highest bio availability, which means that your body is very good at using protein that comes from this old school source of protein.
Of the vegetable protein types, soy, rice, hemp, and pea protein are the most popular. Soy and hemp protein are the only plant proteins currently on the market with a complete amino acid profile. Rice protein ranks highest in terms of bioavailability, but it is not a complete source of protein. One of the best ways to get a complete source of plant based protein is to get a powder with a combination of different plant sources. Now vegetable protein isn’t only great for vegetarians and vegans, it can also have many benefits for meat eaters as well. Soy for example has many additional benefits. The isoflavones in soy provide antioxidant benefits, heart health benefits and it’s often used by women transitioning through menopause. The one thing you should know about pant protein is that the taste is many times hard to mask and usually not quite as yummy as milk based proteins…. Last but not least beef protein is also becoming more popular. Beef protein is packed with natural creatine and BCAAs, and it is defatted so it contains no fat or cholesterol. I’ve never had it, but I’m told it doesn’t taste like beef and apparently there are some great flavors out there for you to try.
So in summary if you can afford the highest quality protein and you are not lactose intolerant go for hydrowhey. I recommend optimum nutrition’s as it is one of the best. If you want the medium priced protein go with whey protein isolate. Again optimum nutrition’s 100% gold standard is one of the best you can get and ranks as the number one selling protein powder year after year. This is the protein I’ve been taking for years. If you want to save some money or if you’re a beginner, I’ve tried EAS’s whey protein concentrates, and they tasted pretty good. Lactose intolerant people you can try the plant based proteins or egg protein. Optimum nutrition makes a great egg derived protein powder, and sunwarrior makes a great plant based protein blend. Beef protein is for those of you meatheads that can’t get enough meat and want some extra natural creatine in your diet. I believe Carnivore by muscle meds has some good reviews and muscletech has a beef protein as well but I’ve never really tried either one. It’s important when choosing the best protein source. The last thing I have to say is please, make sure you remember that these are all just supplements and real food will be a lot more important and have much larger of an effect on your body than any protein powder your having.
