How To Choose The Right Protein Powder – Step into your local nutritional supplement store and you’ll quickly realize that there are more protein options than ever before: casein, whey, soy, hemp, and the list goes on. Add to that the fact that many of them come in a variety of forms such as isolates, hydrolysates, and concentrates (to name a few) and you might get dizzy. And these are powdered protein powders. Despite the endless variety of supplements and changing food trends, caution is understandable.
When we consider protein foods (nutrients and whole foods), certain factors allow us to classify them. One of the most obvious characteristics is quality. By quality, I mean how much protein is needed to meet the body’s needs. The lower the body’s needs, the higher the quality of the protein. Proteins can be further classified as fast or slow depending on how quickly they enter the bloodstream after ingestion. Let’s take a look at how some popular protein sources fit into these categories and how they can help us make better choices when planning meals.
How To Choose The Right Protein Powder
The most important way to determine a protein food is to determine its quality. Protein quality can be easily determined by measuring the essential amino acid profile (ratio). If a protein contains all the amino acids necessary for life, it is called a “complete” protein and receives a high score in chemistry tests. Since some complete proteins are not optimally digested (bioavailable), digestibility must also be measured. This type of test is called the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS).
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The PDCAAS is the standard method for classifying protein quality used by the FDA and the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) and is based on the nutritional needs of children between the ages of two and five. The PDCAAS protein is calculated from the following equation:
A PDCAAS value of 1 is the highest value and 0 is the lowest value a protein can achieve. Since this is the global standard for measuring protein quality, we’ll compare each of our protein options using this scoring method. All but one of the proteins we are going to study scored high on the PDCAAS assay.
Another important feature of protein is its absorption rate. Protein is referred to as “fast” or “slow” depending on how quickly amino acids from food enter the bloodstream. Most meat and dairy products are free proteins. Most, but not all, protein powders are fast proteins because they are easily digested. This method of classifying proteins will be used when we discuss which proteins to use in different situations.
So, we now know how proteins are classified, but we have not yet tackled the dizzying array of products.
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About 80 percent of milk protein is casein. The rest, about 20 percent, is whey protein. A characteristic feature of casein is its low solubility in an acidic environment, such as the stomach. As a result, casein is slowly digested and absorbed relatively slowly after several hours of ingestion. Casein in most powder preparations comes in two forms: caseinate or rat. The caseinates are treated with acid, causing them to coagulate and bind with minerals such as calcium before drying. Micellar casein is obtained through a filtration process that leaves the protein in its natural, unprocessed form. Casein is almost tasteless, but is often described as having a short or smooth, milky taste.
The protein structure of casein protects it from high temperatures. This makes casein easier to use in baked goods. This unique structure also makes casein insoluble in water. This makes it difficult to produce casein, a nutrient that dissolves quickly in water. If you remember the first milk protein powder from years ago, there was no way to completely dissolve it. Today, they are used in combination with other proteins that dissolve more easily, creating a “mix”. Sometimes manufacturers “aggregate” casein. Forms an “in place” powder that dissolves easily in water.
Raw whey is that little yellow substance that floats on top of the cheese once it’s set – not very pleasant at this point. Whole whey contains about 94% water and 6% whey dry matter. 75% of whey ingredients come from lactose, 14% from protein, and the remaining 11% from minerals and fat. The main proteins in whey are 8-lactoglobulins, alpha-lactalbumins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and immunoglobulins (Ig). You may have seen them on the ingredient list in your whey protein container.
Whey comes in three forms: concentrate, isolate and hydrolyzate. Whey protein concentrate is just that. This is done by spray drying which removes most of the water. Whey concentrate contains whey protein with the addition of lactose, fat and minerals. It is less expensive than whey protein isolate because it requires fewer processing steps.
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Whey protein isolate is just whey protein isolate. Moisture, lactose and fat are removed by the ion exchange process, leaving about 95% protein. This is more than raw whey, which contains about 13 percent whey protein. You’ll know you have a protein isolate if it foams after using the blender. Stir and leave for a while and you will see the foam rise to the top as it separates from the whey. Whey protein concentrate may also foam, but only slightly. If you have a glass that the manufacturers claim is pure whey and has no foam, I’d be suspicious. Both wheys are concentrated and have a distinct, if not slightly sweet, flavor to the mix.
Finally, some manufacturers have made additional modifications to the whey protein isolate by subjecting it to an enzymatic process that hydrolyzes or preforms the protein. This type of whey protein isolate is called whey protein hydrolyzate. Whey hydrolyzate has a bitter taste.
Egg whites, although not as popular today as they were years ago, are also an excellent source of protein. Egg protein, sometimes called egg albumin, is a measure of protein quality measured by a chemical marker. This is due to the favorable amino acid profile. Egg white is completely tasteless.
In the past, it was difficult to use egg white powder because it was not easily stirred with a spoon. It always leaves a mark. Today, like casein, egg white can be introduced. Despite this, most protein powders containing eggs are mixed with casein and/or whey.
How To Choose The Right Protein Powder
Soy protein isolate is prepared by extracting the protein portion from defatted soybean meal. This results in a flour that is 90 to 95 percent pure protein. Initially, you can detect soy in a protein drink after a little tasting. However, now the soybean isolation pattern has improved and is less visible. Soy is well known for its relationship with cholesterol metabolism. Many studies have shown the beneficial effect of soy protein on cholesterol levels. Soy protein isolate has a strong “cap” flavor.
Brown rice protein is new to the nutrition scene. People generally don’t consider brown rice to be a good source of protein. In fact, as a grain, brown rice only contains 9 percent protein. However, the protein, when concentrated and separated, yields a powder that is 90 percent protein. Rice protein isolate is made from protein-rich rice flour. 85 to 91% of the protein powder is obtained by various enzymatic processes. Brown rice protein has a mild, almost sweet taste.
Hemp protein, like rice protein, is new to the list of protein powders. Hemp protein is usually available as a concentrate. So it contains not only protein, but also fiber and essential oils. Hemp protein isolate is made in the same way as soy isolate. Due to its high cost, hemp protein isolate is not common and may not be a “best buy” for cost conscious consumers. Hemp protein has a mild flavor but is hearty and nutritious.
Now that we know our most popular product options and know a bit about their various features, we can now take a look at how best to use them. Let’s look at some examples:
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Time and circumstances dictate what protein we need. We need good protein before and after exercise, and a good option to increase the amount of protein in our diet is a meal replacement.
Perhaps the most important protein meal is the pre-workout meal. Before exercise, we need high-quality, easily digestible (i.e. fast) protein. Good choices include whey and soy. Whey may be a better choice for some people because it contains more leucine. Leucine is an essential amino acid that regulates protein synthesis, thanks to which it will provide the desired anabolic environment. On the other hand, soy is suitable for a vegetarian diet while whey is not. Finally, any protein is a good pre- and post-workout choice.
The post-workout meal is of course just as important as the pre-workout meal. If you don’t have a pre-workout drink, you’ll need a protein shake like whey or soy. If you’ve had a pre-workout drink, slow protein can work great here too. A good choice here is micellar casein or a combination of casein and eggs. This ensures a continuous supply of amino acids for many hours after training.
If you’re on a budget, use it in a pre- and post-workout protein powder. If you have more room to spare, you’ll want to fill your meals with extra protein. This is probably the easiest account to match. Since this protein drink will be taken with a solid meal, its rate of absorption will be the same as with a whole meal. Slows down “fast” proteins such as soy, rice and whey. Slow proteins such as micellar casein or casein blend will also easily fit in here. They
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