Through out the years as a fitness fanatic and a personal trainer, I have received many questions about protein intake, protein sources, protein supplements and which protein sources are the best for putting on lean muscle without gaining excess weight. The bottom line is that protein is essential for gaining muscle and each diet must have a proportionate amount of protein for the desired body weight. Protein can be ingested in many ways, but it is important to know how to adjust your diet and when to use supplementation. The goal is to ingest the majority of your protein through a healthy diet. i.e. lean meats such as fish, chicken, beef and pork; eggs and beans are also an excellent source of protein. The problem we run into is that it is very hard, and may even seem impossible, to intake the necessary amount of protein through our meals. Not to mention your grocery bill will fly through the roof. This is where the supplementation comes in. In today’s fitness industry, there are a multitude of different options when it comes to protein supplements, and today we’re going to discuss what to look for when shopping for protein powders.

First things first, you need to decide which type of protein you are going to choose for your supplement. There are several different types and we are going to talk about a few of my top choices.

Plant proteins:

There are two main types of plant proteins I’m going to cover: soy protein and pea protein. Both are derived from plants so they may be more attracted to those focusing on a vegetarian style of nutrition. While both products do provide protein, there are some things you need to know. Soy protein supplements typically have between 5 and 25 grams of protein in each serving coupled with a low calorie count. These are not bad statistics when shopping for a protein powder. The fact about soy protein that most people don’t know is that soy protein contains Isoflavones which are changed in the body to Phytoestrogens resulting in higher estrogen levels in your blood. For a woman, this affect may not be an issue, but for a man trying to gain lean muscle while losing fat, this hormone change can cause some issues. Pea proteins on the other hand do not affect natural hormones in the blood and can range from 6 to 26 grams of protein a serving. Pea protein also offers a wide array of natural vitamins and BCAAs (Branch Chain Amino Acids) which are the building blocks to proteins. From my personal experience and personal opinion based on supplemental facts, I would recommend using Pea protein over soy due to the higher BCAA content and minimal affect on natural hormones.

Whey protein:

Whey protein is by far the most common type of protein in the fitness industry today and is considered the highest quality source of protein you can put in your body. The products vary drastically from 11 up to 65 grams of protein per serving. Whey being a dairy byproduct would affect the rate of absorption for those who are dairy intolerant. That being said, as a whole, Whey protein is a great source of protein. The big question I always get asked is what brand of Whey do I buy? Or how do I know which type of Whey is the best? Well that all comes down to supplemental facts. When shopping for any type of protein, especially Whey, you need to take a close look at three main areas on the nutritional fart section of the product. Protein content, Sugar content, and Calorie content. These three areas can determine whether or not the supplement is worth your money and worth putting into your body. What you are looking for is a high Protein content, a low Sugar content, and a Calorie content that fits your personal goal. Your body is capable of absorbing about 30 grams of protein per meal. The excess of 30 grams is usually expelled from your body and not used or absorbed. This is another reason why it is important to space out your protein intake throughout the day. So when shopping for Whey protein supplements, you want to search for a supplement offering around 30 grams of protein per serving; any more than this would be considered a waste. The next nutritional fact to inspect is the Sugar content. Some protein supplements that have the right amount of protein may be disqualified from your prospective list due to their Sugar content. When judging different brands, you should look for a sugar content of less than 8 grams with a quality product only containing 0-5 grams per serving. Any more than this, and you might as well eat a candy bar with your protein shake. The third thing to look at is the Calorie content. A desirable calorie count really depends on the consumer’s goal. If you are trying to gain weight and muscle mass, a higher calorie count is necessary. On the contrary, if you are trying to lose weight and gain lean muscle mass, you want to be looking for a lower calorie count. Daily calorie needs are determined on the desired weight and daily activity level (calories burned) of each individual person. You can find this equation at (Link). All in all Whey protein is an excellent form of supplementation and has worked great for me in the past both for gaining muscle mass and maintaining lean muscle mass while losing body fat. My favorite Whey protein is made by the company MusclePharm and is called Combat Powder and offers great nutritional value, they even add additional BCAAs and all at a very affordable price. I have also tried their “mass gainer” protein and enjoyed that one as well. Combat powder can be found at almost all nutrition shops, but I personally like the deals on bodybuilding.com

Beef protein isolate:

Beef protein isolate is another form of protein supplementation that is slowly becoming more popular. Carnivore is by far the largest Beef isolate brand in the industry right now containing 23 grams of protein per serving and 0 grams of sugar. This is a solid ratio for any type of protein powder. It is also infused with additional BCAAs and natural creatine. From the outside looking in this looks to be a fantastic product, which it is, but not for everybody. There have been articles written on Beef isolate proteins stating that it is made from gelatin or the “throw away” parts of the cow. i.e. ligaments, ears, hide, etc. (Beef Isolate Review Source) Then fortified with protein, BCAAs and creatine to make it an attractive supplement with good nutritional value. Whether or not this is factual, I personally cannot say. I have used two full 5 lb tubs of Carnivore and did see positive muscle gains. I personally enjoyed the product overall. One area of caution that I learned the hard way is that by taking a beef isolate protein, you are essentially adding more “meat” to your diet so you need to make sure that the other aspects of your diet are fixed to match the additional meat intake. I would suggest eating more fiber and vegetables. After adjusting my diet to match my meat intake, I had no digestive issues what so ever and was able to really enjoy the product. For those of you who are trying to stay away from dairy byproducts and are okay with taking in a byproduct of red meat, this may be the protein supplement for you. It can also be purchased at bodybuilding.com.

In conclusion, protein is key to success in reaching your fitness goals and protein supplements play a large role in that success. Finding the right type of protein and the right brand that sells that protein can be tough, but hey, if it were easy, everyone would be doing it!

Article by OFG Trainer Joe Kendall