Have You Been Choosing the Right Protein?
Protein, it’s the king of the supplement industry. If there is one thing that you know about supplements, it is likely the image of gym rats sucking back their large protein shakes in the variety of shaker bottles that are available for purchase.
However, do you really understand protein? Once you start getting into supplement, you start to realize there is a lot of options available to you when it comes to your protein, and it can get difficult to understand what all the terms mean. How do you know if what you’re buying is right for you? Can you be certain that the affect these products are going to be what you’re looking for?
There is a lot of information out there, but here’s our break down of the protein basics to help you get started:
Whey protein isolate is a favourite among many fitness and training enthusiasts because of its high Biological Value (BV). During the processing of whey isolate, there is a substantial removal of lactose and fats, making it one of the purest forms of protein available. Whey isolate also contains a particularly high ratio of branched chain amino acids (BCAA's), which help prevent muscle catabolism. If you were to take a survey of competitive fitness athletes along with elite-level sports athletes, you’d find whey protein isolate to be one of the most commonly used proteins for its outstanding ability to help repair tissue, and support the muscle-building process.
Many of the leading sports nutritional brands now offer a vegan protein powder to those in the market looking for an alternative to dairy and animal-based protein products. Oftentimes made up of ingredients like brown rice, quinoa, pea, pumpkin seed and hemp - which are isolated and carefully manufactured to produce a concentrated, high quality powdered supplement - plant based protein powders have come to have a loyal following. From a digestion standpoint, these powders are not as fast as whey and not as slow as casein, meaning they fall falling somewhere in the middle. One-way manufacturers round out the amino acid profile of plant-based protein powders is by combining a few different vegan protein sources together (brown rice, pumpkin seed, etc.), which is beneficial to the end user as well.
Collagen is the main structural protein found in the body. Collagen based protein powders are popping up more and more on store shelves these days with many fitness athletes choosing to plug and play this supplement into their stack — thanks in large part to its reported abilities to help ease joint pain, support muscle growth and improve both skin and bone health.
Convenience is the name of the game when it comes to the ever-growing world of ready-to-drink shakes, bars, cookies, muffins, cake bites and the like. These protein-based supplements are super easy to consume and about as hassle free as it gets. With the advances in flavour technology and variety we have seen over the course of the last decade, the current slate of high-quality protein convenience products that line store shelves at the check-out are just as tasty as they are convenient. So, whether you're at work, at school, in transit, or simply chilling at home, getting your protein in has never been easier thanks to this category!
Whether it is provided by a company such as All Max, Beyond Yourself, PVL, TC Nutrition, Nutraphase or more, we hope that you now have a better understanding of what is on offer, and what it is that you’re looking for. 