There are thousands of protein powders and protein bars on the market right now. It is easy to find these supplements but not so easy to determine which ones are best for your health and fitness goals. If your goal is to gain weight or double your size in muscle, you will select a different protein supplement than someone whose goals involve fat burn or weight loss.
Protein Powder Types
You cannot shop for protein powder by price alone. There are different types of protein used to make these supplements, and they don’t all act the same once inside your body. Here is a quick breakdown of the most common types of protein you will see on the market today.
- Whey Protein: Whey is a liquid byproduct that is created during the production of cheese. It is absorbed into the bloodstream quickly, so whey protein powders are often selected as after-workout snacks to help restore tired muscles.
- Casein Protein: Casein is a natural milk protein that turns into a gelatin-like substance during milk production. It is absorbed into the bloodstream slowly, so it is used to sustain energy and protein intake over a longer period of time.
- Egg Albumen Protein: This is protein taken directly from egg whites. There are also protein powders made from whole eggs, but egg white protein powder has a more impressive nutritional profile. This type of protein supplement is often used for baking and cooking.
- Vegetarian Proteins: There are many protein powders made from plant sources, such as soy protein powder, rice protein powder, pea protein powder, and hemp protein powder.
Quality of Protein Sources
Understanding the difference between whey and casein protein powders is not enough to efficiently select the best protein supplements. You also have to consider the quality of the protein within each supplement. This applies to protein bars as well as protein powders.
To ensure you are purchasing the highest quality of protein, you need to read the ingredients list. The following terms will help you understand what you are reading so that you can select the best products:
- Micellar Casein: This is the purest form of casein protein. It is sometimes called milk protein isolate or concentrate. The least amount of processing goes into creating this type of protein, so it is the highest-quality casein you can use.
- Caseinates: This is a lower-quality casein protein that is created through chemical processing. Supplements using this type of protein are cheaper than those using micellar casein, but they are also much lower in protein quality.
- Protein Concentrate: The purest form of whey protein. The liquid whey is captured during the cheese-making process and turned into powdered form without further processing. Protein content varies with concentrated protein.
- Protein Isolates: The liquid whey created during the cheese-making process is further processed to create a purer protein product. Most consumers prefer protein supplements that use whey isolates because they usually taste better than protein concentrates. They are typically more expensive than concentrates.
- Hydrolyzed Protein: Whey protein is broken down so that it is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. This is beneficial if you are using a whey protein supplement to improve protein synthesis after intense workouts, but whey protein isolates are absorbed quickly as well and are processed less.
Understanding Nutritional Profiles
Once you read the ingredients of a supplement and determine that it contains a high-quality source of protein, you need to read the nutritional label to assess the following information:
- Serving size
- Calories
- Fat grams
- Carbohydrate grams
- Fiber grams
- Sugar and sugar alcohols
- Protein grams
This information makes up the nutritional profile for any protein supplement. You have to use this information to select the products that will work with your diet and goals. There are low-calorie protein bars on the market alongside high-calorie bars with increased amounts of protein. Protein bars tend to contain more carbohydrates than protein powder, and that may or may not work well with your nutritional goals. And if you find yourself frequently going over your daily calorie limit, there are a number of ways you can cut out the empty calories. One simple way is to stop using cooking oil and use an oil-less air fryer to prepare your meals instead whenever possible.
Your final selection is a personal choice because your goals and nutritional needs are specific to your body. Use all of the information in this guide to make an educated decision and you will get more out of your protein supplement.
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