The Ultimate Guide to Protein Powder!
Hey guys!
My new video is something I’ve been wanting to research and share with you for a long time! After reading all your emails, messages, tweets, and comments, it seems that you guys have some questions about protein. So it is time to address everything in one comprehensive, easy to understand video! Click play below to watch:
So which powder is good for you?
Well first of all, please understand that you can get protein from many food sources! Fish, chicken, beef, eggs, yogurt, dairy, legumes, beans, nuts etc.
You don’t have to take protein powder, however many people do because they are running low on time, can’t cook, and/or need something on the go. Therefore, protein shakes are an excellent option to supplement your diet (it’s easy to make – just add water or milk/almond milk) and it’ll keep you satiated while building lean muscle. Plus, many products out there taste great and can help you to get the protein nutrition that your muscles crave!
There are tons of options on the market and yes it is totally confusing as to what you should be looking for! While you’re researching ask yourself this: What are my goals?
Do I want to lose weight?
Do I want to gain more muscle?
Do I want to maintain my weight?
Knowing the answers to these questions will help you pick the right powder for you! So let’s begin the protein powder comparison. Keep in mind, this information is general, and some of the attributes of the proteins may vary depending on the manufacturer:
Whey Protein
– It’s the most popular type of protein powder on the market.
– It’s a dairy product made in the process of turning milk into cheese.
– It is quickly absorbed by the body, so it’s great to take RIGHT AFTER A WORKOUT (preferably within 30 min).
– It’s a compete protein (contains all essential amino acids).
Casein Protein
– It’s a dairy product that is made when a separation process is applied to liquid milk, isolating the protein from the carbs and fats.
– It’s typically used by body builders who want to provide muscle-fueling amino acids throughout the day and/or night.
– It’s digested over a long period of time, so it’s often taken before bed to provide a steady stream of amino acids.
– Sometimes taken post-workout when combined with whey or another fast digesting protein to help replenish and re-feed the muscles.
Egg Protein
– It’s made by separating the yolk from the whites, leaving just the dehydrated egg whites (aka the egg protein).
– Great for baking savory baked goods (protein breads, crusts, etc.)
– Rich in natural vitamins and minerals
– Lactose Free
Soy Protein
– Vegan
– Made from hulled and dried soy beans.
– It’s one of the few plant proteins that is a complete protein, offering all the essential amino acids.
Brown Rice Protein
– Vegan
– Good source of protein, complex carbs, Vitamin B, and fiber.
– Not a complete protein
Hemp Protein
– Vegan
– Made from the seeds of the cannabis plant
– Great mix of protein PLUS essential fatty acids (depending on the processing) where are necessary for human health
– Usually contains some fiber, which has additional benefits for digestion and satiety
Pea Protein
– Vegan
– Made from the yellow split pea
– Hypoallergenic
– Not a complete protein, but many companies are providing blends of vegetarian proteins that when combined provide all of the essential amino acids needed by the body
Hope that helps! If you want to know how many grams of protein you should be taking a day, go to the GNC Protein Number Calculator here.
Based on my goals, weight, and height, my protein number came out to be 84g of protein per day.
What’s yours!!??
Go figure it out and then once you get that number – you gotta leave a comment on my YouTube video (click here) because I have a giveaway surprise!!!
On July 5th, I will pick one lucky POPster to win a whole case of Protein Powders from GNC so you can taste, try, cook, and blend some yummy protein packed recipes at home!
Good luck and I hope this made your protein powder research a bit easier. Let me know if there’s anything else in the fitness and health world that you want to better understand.
Much love,
<3 Cassey
Note: All my opinion and research are my own. This post and giveaway are sponsored by GNC.
19 thoughts on “The Ultimate Guide to Protein Powder!”
There are Array19 comments posted by our users.
Nice article. There are a number of protein sources which used for muscle building. Thanks for sharing the details of protein supplements.
Very Nice and Innovative Article thanks for sharing this. There are many brands of sports nutrition supplements but Aminoz is the best one. Aminoz Supplements has high international quality. You can buy any flavour or size of any supplement at a very reasonable price. Grab Now and get a discount of 15 % on it.
Ah I’m so glad you made this video, it’s really helped me understand protein- I had no idea there was so many types of protein available. I’m so excited to start using it!
Thanks Cassey!
Oh yeah and my number is 90! 🙂
Tera’s Whey Protein are the only ones I can drink. I gag when I drink a powder that is chalky or has a rough texture.
My number was 90…think I definitely need to step up my protein intake! This video was amazingly awesome and super informative! You are such an inspiration to all! 🙂 I
Great guide! thanks
Very good article, as others have noted. I was particularly interested in Mary’s comment about hemp protein..to be honest I haven’t heard of it before. It makes me wonder what other non-animal sources there are out there?
Such great info, thanks so much for explaining! There is so much information out there it’s close to impossible to be able figure it our on your own. Being a gluten-intolerant vegetarian it’s always good to be able to find products that I can use!
Thanks again for the info and keep up the great work! Oh ya! My number was 115!
Hi Cassey, I went to the gnc website to find out my protein number and they wanted to know the intensity of my activity. I follow your workout calendars every day, so would that be considered moderate or heavy intensity?
Thanks so much!
Thanks so much Cassey!
You are awesome! Thanks for breaking these down, I currently take Whey but never knew the difference and always wondered. I’ve always wanted to try other types as well.
By the way, im SUPER sore from the past few days of the #ForceofJuly calendar!
Love it!!!
<3333
I agree with Linda @ Fit Fed and Happy, I’d like to know more about beef protein. It seems to be more popular these days. Hans.
Hi Cassey! Great article. I have a question for you. What happens with all of the excess skin after weight loss? I’m in the process of starting a fitness journey but I would like to know what would happen to all of that skin. I’m quite overweight and I’m wondering if it will be saggy or if there is anything I can do to harden it. Thank you for the article and I hope you post another one soon! 🙂
My protein number is 87 grams! That is such a handy little tool. Thank you so much for making that video Cassey. It was extremely helpful. I am a HUGE fan of brown rice protein, both for shakes and for cooking. (Obsessed with protein waffles!) haha <3
I use syntha-6 isolate which is pretty good protein powder they have the best tasting protein flavors. (Hands down) to all the other ones i have tried syntha-6 was been really good. i love it because it has a mixture of whey and casein so i can take it before or after my workout which is amazing and pretty convenient. I don’t take a lot of protein in because i live a pretty sedentary life style always sitting at work (boring).So my protein level when i calculated it was only 49 grams which i thought was pretty shocking
I noticed you didn’t mention beef protein. What about that? I would like to know how to use it.
Thanks for sharing this! It is so informative. I never knew there were so many different types of protein powder!
Also Hemp protein has all 9 amino acids, even the ones that are usually only found in meat and is more easily digestible than most other protein powders so it is easier for your body to absorb the protein. These is the main reason why I take it. In my opinion it is probably the best option for vegans because it is so nutritionally complete.