If you do any form of exercise, whether it’s weight lifting, aerobic, or endurance training, you’ll need more protein than the UK government’s current recommended of 55 grams per day. Powdered protein is a convenient method to boost your daily protein intake. When you don’t feel like sitting down to a complete meal after training, a fast-digesting protein like whey can help. When it comes to the best protein powder bodybuilding, whey is the right option.
Whey Protein
Whey is a by-product of the cheese-making process and is a liquid leftover from curdled and strained milk. Because of its availability, low cost, and effectiveness, whey protein is among the best protein powder for bodybuilding. Whey digested and absorbed by your digestive system, allowing it to enter your bloodstream and muscles immediately, kicking off the repair and rebuilding process.
Some whey products contain only one type of protein, either a higher-quality protein source for a premium product or a lower-quality protein source to keep costs down. Other products use different combinations of whey and other protein sources, such as casein or soy, depending on the product’s intended usage or to cut manufacturing costs.
Casein
Casein is the most common form of protein found in dairy, accounting for over 80% of the protein in cow’s milk. Whereas whey protein is quickly absorbed by your body, making it an ideal post-workout protein source, casein is broken down and digested over many hours, allowing for a steady and sustained release of amino acids into your bloodstream and ultimately into your muscles.
Supplement with a casein protein drink right before bed to provide your muscles with the vital nutrients they require to repair and rebuild muscular tissue. Casein’s delayed digestion makes it an ideal source of protein for dripping amino acids into your muscles at night to help your body recover from the impacts of exercise as you sleep.
Egg white protein
This was the preferred protein before whey was found. Egg white protein is of excellent quality, and it digests more slowly than whey but more quickly than casein. While it’s not ideal for use around workout time on its own, a mixed powder comprising egg white, whey, and casein protein can be used at almost any time of day. To put it another way, you’ll be feeding your body a mix of rapid, slow, and medium-digesting proteins to maintain your muscles building at all times.
Beef protein
Don’t worry, we’re not talking about beef bouillon cubes or anything slightly like red meat. (It comes in fruit flavors, which is ironic.) Beef protein powder, as the name suggests, is made from beef that has had nearly all of its fat removed. As a result, it digests quickly, offering it a viable alternative to whey for those who are allergic to milk proteins.
Soy protein
While soy protein isolates digest quickly, their actual value is their capacity to improve nitric oxide levels, growth hormone release, and muscle regeneration after workouts. And, if you’re still unsure about its effects on testosterone and estrogen levels, be assured that the most recent research finds that soy does not lower testosterone or increase estrogen levels.