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Choosing The Best Protein Powder For You: Types Of Protein, Benefits And More

Benefits of Protein Powder: Can It Help You?

If you're following a vegetarian or vegan diet, protein is a key nutrient to make sure you get enough of, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Supplementing your diet with protein powder can help you meet your body's nutritional needs in a convenient way. Knowing more about protein powder for vegetarians will help you determine if it's the right choice for you.

7 Benefits of Using Protein Powder Protein powder can be made from a variety of different sources, including whey, casein, soy, egg, pea, hemp, brown rice, or other sources. If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you'll want to be sure that the product you choose is made from a plant-based protein. Whey and casein protein powder, for instance, are made from dairy and may not be compliant with vegan or certain vegetarian diets. But almost all protein powders can provide benefits when you include it as part of a balanced diet.

Can Increase Vitamin and Mineral Intake Protein powder is loaded with nutrients. A scoop of protein powder generally provides about 25 grams of protein and is often fortified with vitamins and minerals. Whey, casein, egg, and soy protein powders contain all essential amino acids, making them an excellent source of complete protein. Hemp, pea, and brown rice protein powders are other options for those on a vegan diet. Many protein powders are low in sugar, but check the nutrition label to be sure.

Convenient Alternative to Meat If you're following a vegetarian or vegan diet, you may find it difficult to get plenty of protein, especially if you're an athlete with higher protein needs. Using protein powder is a convenient way to boost your protein intake. Simply mix protein powder with water, soy or almond milk, or regular milk for a quick easy meal or snack when you're short on time. You can even add protein powder to foods like oatmeal and yogurt.

Boosts Energy Protein powder, especially mixed into protein smoothies, can give you a quick boost of energy when you're on the go or before and after workouts. What makes protein powder energizing is when it contains carbohydrates, which many protein powders do. If not, mix your powder with a form of energy-boosting carbohydrate like milk, soymilk, yogurt, or fruit. To make a nutritious protein smoothie, blend protein powder, ice, milk or water, fruit, and nut butter for a refreshing boost of energy. A variety of protein smoothie recipes are available to choose from, so you can have a different type of smoothie each day of the week. A sample energy-boosting recipe using protein powder is as follows: 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk

1 tablespoon of peanut butter

1 small banana

¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 scoop of chocolate-flavored protein powder of your choice

Ice Blend these ingredients for an energy-boosting meal or snack.

Provides Muscle-Building Perks If you're a vegetarian or vegan and trying to gain muscle mass, protein powder can be beneficial for you. A 2015 review published in Sports Medicine found protein supplementation promotes gains in muscle strength, size, and power in people who resistance train regularly. This occurs because dietary protein is needed to help repair and grow muscle fibers in response to strenuous resistance training sessions. For best muscle building results, drink a protein shake before and after strength-training workouts and complete three to six sets of 12 reps (or less) using heavier weights to maximize muscle growth.

Supports Healthy Weight Maintenance High-protein diet can be effective for weight loss. One reason for this is because protein boosts satiety more than any other nutrient, according to a 2020 study published in the Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome, Protein also helps you maintain lean mass and reduce body fat. And a 2021 study published in Clinical Nutrition reports that using protein powder is a cost-effective strategy to support an effective weight loss program. Protein helps spare muscle loss during periods of calorie restriction simply because it is a necessary ingredient for building and maintaining muscle mass in the body. Without enough dietary protein, your body can break down muscle mass in an attempt to fuel itself. Protein shakes made with powder work well as meal replacements when you're trying to cut calories to shed pounds. However, if you want to reap weight and fat loss benefits from protein powder, avoid added sugar, as well as refined grains like white bread, sweets, and sugary drinks.

May Support Healing Using protein powder to make shakes is beneficial for patients recovering from surgery or illness and those who are on liquid diets due to other health conditions. For example, protein shakes are often useful for people recovering from bariatric surgery, dental surgery, or gastrointestinal disorders who are unable to tolerate solid foods. Often, people in these situations have increased protein requirements and may have difficulty meeting their body's needs without liquid protein supplements.

Might Enhance Sleep Taking protein supplements, like protein powder, may even help you sleep better. Higher-protein diets appear to help overweight and obese people sleep better while dieting, according to a 2016 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Additionally, a 2014 review in Sports Medicine found higher-protein diets seem to improve sleep quality in athletes. Because protein powder helps boost your overall protein intake, try it for a better night's sleep.

The Surprising Benefits of Protein Shakes

Want to know when to best fuel your body using a protein shake? It’s right after you work out. When you supplement with a protein shake, you ingest the materials your body needs the most after working out.

To better comprehend the importance of protein supplementation and exercise, we must understand two components of our metabolism: anabolism and catabolism.

Catabolic processes involve breaking down large, complex materials (like food) to smaller, simpler molecules. Anabolism is just the opposite of this. Anabolic processes involve our body taking small, simple molecules and building them up into larger, more complex ones. Put simply, catabolic processes release energy and anabolic processes require energy.

Exercise is catabolic in nature. Without proper diet or supplementation, our bodies will stay in a catabolic state. In order to benefit the most from our training sessions, we need to get our bodies out of this state as soon as possible.

By supplementing with protein shakes, we can bring our body back into an anabolic state. For the first hour following a workout, we are in a period of time called an “anabolic window.” This is when we can have the greatest influence on our muscle protein synthesis (where protein is produced to repair muscle damage caused by intense exercise).

Because of this, it is ideal to supplement with protein immediately post-workout. A protein shake after a workout can lead to greater strength gains and increased muscle.

Can I Have Too Much Protein?

In general, is there such a thing as too much protein? Recent studies suggest high-protein diets may not be as harmful as previously thought.

While the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is 0.8g of protein per kg of body weight a day (0.8g/kg/day), it just isn’t enough for most people, especially if they live an active lifestyle. In order to keep our bodies in an anabolic state, we need to provide it with necessary macronutrients. Physically active individuals should ingest more protein on average per day (approximately 1.2-1.7g/kg/day of protein), according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Aging individuals may need higher protein intake as well. As we age, we experience a blunted response in muscle protein synthesis (our ability to repair damaged muscle). Because of this, individuals over the age of 50 should ingest at least 1.0g per kg of body weight of protein a day, the ACSM recommends.

Variety Is Key

While protein shakes are certainly convenient, they should not take the place of all protein needs in your diet. It’s important to vary your sources of protein while also prioritizing lean meat choices such as chicken, ground turkey and bison.

1 Workout = 1 Shake

I believe every gym-going individual should utilize protein shakes. It can lead to increased lean body mass and greater strength gains.

For those wondering what kind of protein powder is best to supplement with, a good place to start is with whey protein. There’s a reason for this: Whey protein has a rapid absorption rate, which is unmatched compared to other protein sources (both whole foods and alternative powders). As we increase our muscle mass, we boost our metabolism. A boost in our metabolism means more calories burned at rest!

To start enjoying the benefits of protein shakes, just mix 20-30 grams of your favorite whey protein powder into a smoothie, low-fat milk or water and enjoy immediately after your workout.

Choosing The Best Protein Powder For You: Types Of Protein, Benefits And More

Whey Protein

Whey is available in concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate form. You might consider selecting whey protein isolate if you are trying to limit calories, fat, and carbohydrates. Whey protein hydrolysate has the benefit of being more easily absorbed because the proteins have been partially digested.

Whey is a complete protein, meaning it provides all the amino acids that the body needs. The amino acids and peptides from whey protein have been shown to be absorbed more rapidly versus other types of protein.1

Plus, there is research to show that whey protein can enhance muscle protein synthesis and enhance recovery when combined with resistance or strength training.2, 3

Whey proteins are associated with successful weight management because it appears that they help to maintain lean tissue during weight loss. This lean tissue burns more calories, so it is beneficial for the weight loss process. Whey proteins have also been found to have a satiating effect, potentially helping a dieter to reduce their calorie intake when used in place of other foods.4 Some researchers believe that whey protein’s benefits for muscle growth and maintenance are related to its high content of leucine. Leucine is an amino acid that is highly involved in the synthesis of muscle tissue.5, 6 Read more about whey protein for weight management.

Since whey proteins are dairy based, if you’re lactose intolerant or you have a dairy allergy, steer clear. There are lactose free whey proteins available, so just read your labels. For those who are weight training, trying to shed some unwanted pounds or those looking to maintain their muscle mass, whey protein is an excellent choice. The variety of flavors and nutrient profiles are incredible, so shop around and look for one with a flavor that you love and the nutrition fact panel that is most in line with your goals. The sky is the limit when it comes to whey protein.

Eric Carter

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