WHEY too many protein powders! I'm so confused.

beautyfromash
on 10/30/13 12:45 pm

I went to Supplemental Superstore today and there are so many different protein powders to choose from. From what the guy tells me at the store all whey proteins are not created equally. HELP! What are the most important things to look for when choosing a Whey Protein.

Keith L.
on 11/7/13 9:14 am - Navarre, FL

VSG on 09/28/12

It depends on what you want them for and it also depends on what your dietary needs/restrictions are. The most protein products (whey, casein, and milk isolate) are milk based products. Whey gets even further confusing because whey can be concentrate, isolate, or blend and now there is something called hydrolyzed isolate. The difference between these is the rate at which they are digested. Casein is the slowest digesting, then blends and concentrates, then isolate, they hydroliyzed isolate. Hydrolyzed means pre-digested which just means they are already broken down into their simplest form. These types of protein are good for before and after a workout when your muscles need easy access to proteins for recovery and rebuilding.

For basic weight loss a blend would be your best bet. You do not want collogen at all, that is a type of protein we cannot absorb so it is pointless but it may make your skin and hair look good.

Other proteins include soy, beef, hemp, coconut, egg white, pea, and many other specialized vegetarian and vegan types.

The most effective protein for weight loss and/or post weight loss surgery is going to be whey. If you are going to consume it several times a day then a whey isolate is probably a good idea but if you are looking for something where you can have a shake in the morning to supplement your protein needs then a blend that includes whey isolate, whey concentrate, and casein would be ideal because it would give you a slower digestion/absorption rate through the day until you can eat your whole foods.

Casein protein is a good protein to take at night because it digests slow it will provide protein to your muscles while you sleep and will make it most of the way through the night without resorting to catabolism which is when your body turns to your muscle to get the protein it needs.

Hope that sheds some light on it although I may have just made it worse for you.

Something else all together to consider is cost and flavor and then type of drink (powder or ready to drink). Costs range from $15 for the cheap stuff to upwards of $100 for the really good stuff. The flavors range quite a bit too. Chocolate is not just chocolate. I alos get sick of them after two or three tubs and have to move on to something else. I am currently using Dymatize ISO-100 gourmet chocolate, Optimum Nutirtion Toffee Fudge, Optimum Nutrition Mocha Cappucino, and Optimum Nutrition Cookies and Cream Casein. In the past I have used AST VP2 Chocolate that I really like for a while but got sick of it. I used a hydrolyzed whey isolate because I work out a lot and then I have Optimum Nutrition flavors that are blends for my non-workout days.