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So you ran your calories, calculated your protein needs, and realized you're not getting enough protein in your daily diet. Sure, getting all of your protein through natural sources is ideal, but this can be very tough for even the most experienced fitness professional. This is where protein supplements come in handy.
But which ones? What type? How much?
All valid questions I hope to answer here.
Let's look at the different types of protein supplementation.
Animal Protein vs Plant Protein
The first major decision you'll face is which TYPE of protein is best: Animal protein such as whey or casein come from milk. Plant-based proteins usually come from pea, wheat, or soy.
These sources are distilled and extracted to the point where none of the original source remains, only the protein molecules. This means that plant-based sources contain no phyto-chemicals or nutrients you get from plants. Animal based sources contain no milk or lactose. Essentially, all sources are "boiled" down to just their amino acid profiles, making it a very lean, protein-dense source. This is one of the fundamental "problems" with protein supplements - they usually contain no other health benefits unless fortified or mixed in during processing.
Animal protein sources are typically whey or casein protein. Both whey and casein come from milk and contain all of the essential amino acids your body will use. This means you won't need any additional source of protein to live and thrive. A whey or casein -based protein supplement will have everything you need.
Plant protein sources, on the other hand, only have limited numbers of essential amino acids. This means that a single source of plant-protein, such as pea, will require supplementation of ADDITIONAL plant-based protein such as wheat.
Soy protein is a rare plant-based protein source that contains all essential amino acids, but there are a few health considerations to be aware of when supplementing with soy - more on that later.
Whey V. Casein
If you're supplementing with animal protein, you're likely consuming whey or casein. Both whey and casein come in powdered form or can be cooked into bars or solid foods. Both whey and casein come from milk, but different parts of the milk. Whey comes from the liquid form of milk and is easily scooped up in your digestive system. Casein comes from the solid part of milk, and is usually a little thicker and slower to be digested. This makes whey an ideal post-workout protein source.
Casein supplementation may be used in food supplements requiring a thicker texture. Casein may also be recommended as a "late-night" protein shake for athletes looking to build muscle, as it is slowly digested over the course of the night. Casein may also "sit" heavier in your stomach after consumption, making you feel full or bloated.
Pea and Wheat
Protein powders derived from plants like pea or wheat make sense if you're following a vegan diet. However, many people assume that these protein sources are "healthier" because they come from plants.
It's true that eating actual plants and vegetables have health benefits, but remember that protein powders are stripped of nearly all of their original sources. This means none of the plant-based health properties exist in a protein powder. You're simply consuming fewer amino acids from a plant-based powder than whey or casein powders.
The only reason to consume plant-based protein sources is if you're following a strict vegan diet and wish to avoid the animal based source.
Soy
Soy protein sources like tofu or soybeans have a complete amino-acid profile similar to animal products. This means you don't need to mix-and-match protein sources. However, over the last 20 years of research, soy has become hotly debated in the health community.
Soy, as it turns out, contains estrogen-like compounds called isoflavones. Current research suggests these compounds can promote the growth of cancer cells, impair fertility (in both males and females), and mess with thyroid function.
Other research suggests soy-based proteins can affect testosterone AND estrogen levels in both men and women. The research gets a little messy, but most people agree the health risks may actually outweigh the health benefits.
Because other protein sources exist such as pea and wheat, it's probably best to avoid soy altogether.
Isolate V. Concentrate
When reading a protein supplement label, you'll find key words such as "isolate" and "concentrate." You may see one tub of protein powder listed as whey, while another says whey isolate.
What's the difference?
Isolate protein means it's been more processed and distilled to remove all of the non-protein elements of the product. An isolate protein will have a greater concentration of protein compared to it's other components. This is useful if you're looking for a protein powder to mix and don't want to worry about additives or extra ingredients.
Bio-Availability
Not all proteins are absorbed and digested at the same rate. Some proteins, like whey, are quickly absorbed and easily used by your body and cells. Plant-based proteins and casein, however, are less quickly absorbed. Bio-availability means that if you consume 20g of protein, your body ABSORBES and USES 20g of protein.
Some research suggests that plant-based proteins are less bio-available by up to 50%. This means that if you consume 20g of pea protein, your body may only absorb and use 10g. You'll need to double-up your dosage of plant-based protein if you want the full metabolic effect of your protein intake.
This is where whey and casein shine - they're far more bio-available.
This is also where natural sources out-perform protein powders. Natural sources of protein may be far more bio-available than powders or supplements.
Marketing Key Words
One important thing to remember is that supplement manufacturers exist to sell you stuff. They use the same marketing and retail keywords you'll find in any industry, including words like organic, hydrolyzed, gluten-free, etc. Let's take a look at some of these marketing key words and what they actually mean.
Organic
This label means the product comes from (or contains a portion of) plants categorized as organic. In powder form, this is largely meaningless, as the powders are simply the protein-remnants of the original source. It's usually just a way to charge more money for the same product.
Gluten-Free
Ever since gluten sensitivity came into the public awareness, marketers will slap a gluten-free label on anything. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, so a wheat-based protein MAY have the amino-acid profile to upset someone's GI tract - however a pea protein, whey, or casein protein will not have gluten. So slapping a gluten-free label may increase the price. Unless you're suffering from actual celiac disease, a gluten-free protein powder has no benefit to you.
Vegan
This label will appear on a plant-based protein. Unless it specifies, it may be a blend of various plant-based proteins. A variety of plant-based proteins will increase your amino-acid profile, making sure you get all your essential amino-acids.
Banned Substance
This is a pretty broad and ubiquitous label on protein powder. It comes from the lack of knowledge the general-public has about protein powders. Many people think protein powders are full of "illegal" and "underground" substances that make you grow muscles and veins overnight. While it's important to note - there is no FDA regulation on supplements, this label just means the manufacturer promises not to have any "illegal" stuff in their protein. Whatever that means.
Hydrolyzed
Hydrolyzed means the amino acid chains have been shortened during processing, making the product more bio-available. Hydrolyzed proteins may be more easily absorbed (increased bio-availability), and may be less "gritty" than their counterparts. This means they may cost more as a result.
Fermented
A fermented protein powder means the plant was fermented before being turned into a powder. Some research suggests this process increases bio-availability, but there's not enough data to suggest you seek out fermented pea proteins unless you have cash to spare.
Protein Timing
One of the most common questions I get is "What time of day is best" for protein supplements.
My answer: It doesn't matter too much as long as it's even distributed throughout the day.
The research is currently suggesting that your body can absorb up to 40-60g in a single sitting. So if you're eating one big meal at night, you may be missing out on some of your protein bio-availability.
A post-workout protein drink may have more bio-availability, but it's not crucial enough to change the numbers. You need a set amount of protein each day - the timing is the least important factor.
Drinking a protein shake at night can help you get a little extra absorption throughout your sleep.
Basically, try to evenly distribute your protein throughout the day.
Conclusion
Try to get most of your protein evenly distributed throughout the day from natural sources. If you're missing out, whey protein isolate is the best bang-for-your-buck. Plant-based proteins can be fine if you get ENOUGH of them.
It doesn't matter if you get your supplemental protein from shakes, powders, bars, or cookies. Just check the calorie content and keep the added stuff limited.