The Chaos of Choosing a Protein Powder:
There are many options and so many variables to think about often times I find people get paralyzed and then make no choice!
Below, I’m sharing some facts on various kinds to consider along with questions you can ask yourself to help you feel confident that you’re making a good choice for your goals!
Whey:
Whey is a dairy protein. As an animal based protein, it has an amino acid profile that is nice and conducive for muscle growth and support. It will have at least 2.5 g of Leucine in 30 g of protein which will turn on muscle protein synthesis.
If you don’t tolerate dairy or are vegan, this is not the option for you.
🔗 We’re using Ascent right now
If you don’t care for the “milky” texture of typical whey protein, you can try a “clear whey” option.
🔗Isopure has some options
Egg White:
A great animal based protein option for those of you who can’t tolerate dairy. This is one most of my clients tolerate really well. It has the same amino acid breakdown as whey so also great for muscle growth.
🔗 I like Drink Wholesome
Pea:
A terrific option for those of you who don’t tolerate or like a whey protein. These options can some times be hard to digest for people so be mindful of that. Check the amino acid profile to make sure you’re using a serving that will give you 2.5 g Leucine.
🔗 I recommend Naked Pea to clients
Pea/Rice Blend:
This is a great option to consider because some of the amino acids that are lower in pea protein, rice is adequate in. Some of those that rice is low in are higher in pea = a nice balance!
Metagenics has an amazing option
What about Collagen?:
Collagen is great! It is not a complete protein. Collagen lacks tryptophan so we don’t count it towards your daily protein intake (even though you’re getting beneficial amino acids…it’s just not complete).
I like Vital Proteins chocolate option to make “hot chocolate”
We use Great Lakes as well
Questions to ask when deciding how to purchase:
❓ Can you try a sample pack to make sure you like and tolerate it before you buy a huge container with 80 servings in it? Sometimes you can order these from Amazon!
❓ Check the amino acid profile – make sure you’re getting 2.5 g leucine per serving. This is how much you need to support muscle growth and if you’re using your protein shake as a meal (especially breakfast), this is super important. If it doesn’t list this on the website, contact the company and ask them for it. Or just pick another one because this should be readily available for consumers.
❓ Check the ingredients – do you recognize them all? If there are any dyes, just choose something else. Look for a list that is as short as possible. Check for allergens as well.
❓ How many servings are you going to have in your shake? If 1 g of protein per pound of ideal body weight is the daily goal, divide that into 3 meals, how much do you need your shake to possibly account for? For example: if you need 50 g of protein and your shake offers 25 g per scoop/serving, you could have 2 scoops to make that a 50 g option.
❓ Do they have testing available for you to see? Ideally, you’ll look for “third party” or “independent” testing. If you’re choosing a plant based protein this is particularly important to account for any risk of heavy metals.
I’ll always advocate for whole foods over supplements and shakes! There is something to be said for the way all of the nutrients interact together when you consume them in real foods.
That being said, a shake can SUPPLEMENT a diverse diet and be used as a tool for those of you are just staring to consider how to increase your protein intake. I also find it a helpful tool for those of you who aren’t super hungry in the morning and are therefor under eating protein.
Looking for personal training to compliment your renewed protein intake? Grab a buddy and let’s go! Partner training is so much fun with us!
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