Going to the supplement store, there’s too many products on the shelves to look at. There’s preworkouts, BCAAs, vitamins, minerals, diuretics, foods, creatine, but perhaps the most important muscle building supplement of them all, protein, is our main focus today. When purchasing protein, there’s plenty of different options — many newbies and even advanced lifters have no clue which type is best for what purpose. With options like whey, isolate, casein, vegan, collagen, grass-fed, pea protein, and plant protein, it’s hard to pick — so we’re here to lay out all the details.
Why do we need protein?
Consuming protein is important because it helps repair and build our muscles when they’re broken down after workouts. Getting in enough protein is also important, because studies suggest we need 0.7-1g of protein per pound of bodyweight for optimal muscle growth. Muscle growth and body development is what we’re all about. Take a look at some of our best anabolic products, like Trenbolone Acetate and our Alpha Bulk Stack 2 which is on sale right now! Over here at Alpha Pharm Canada, we like to stick to the higher range of that spectrum (1g per pound), or sometimes even slightly above, at 1.25g per pound of bodyweight, to ensure full maximum muscle protein synthesis. When putting on size, we don’t want to half-ass our nutrition — protein intake is key, and proper protein intake can even help burn fat, due to the thermogenic effect of protein in the digestive system. Real foods like meats, fish, high-protein vegetables, and more are to be prioritized before powders, but consuming anywhere above 130g of protein per day can be tough for some people. Getting in this much protein can be difficult, and that’s when supplementation comes in.
Proteins and Their Benefits
Take a good look at all of the proteins our Alpha Pharm Team has researched and compiled into the list down below, and also check out some of our best muscle building products, in order to pack on size in the most efficient way possible:
- Whey
Whey protein comes from milk. It’s the liquid that comes from when you curdle and strain milk, when separating the casein and whey (the liquid). Whey protein is one of the best products for muscle building on the market, and it’s a quick-digesting protein, which means it’s best used right before or after a workout for maximum muscle protein synthesis.
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- Whey Isolate vs. Whey Concentrate vs. Whey Hydrolysate
There’s two types of whey proteins: isolate and concentrate. The main difference between these two, is that isolate is a more sole and low calorie protein supp (that’s good for cutting!), holding about 90% of its calories from protein. Concentrate is still high in protein, at about 70-80% worth, but it contains more fats and carbs, meaning it’s higher calorie than isolate. With the higher calories, concentrate is worse for cutting, but it tastes substantially better. Reigning as the king of the most dense protein, is hydrolysate. This protein is often quite bitter, but there’s a reason: this protein is pre-digested protein, digests the fastest, and can be up to a whopping 99% protein! Pick your poison.
- Casein
Casein protein is similar to whey, as they come from the same process. Casein is a slow-digesting protein, which means it takes your body longer to digest. Therefore, this protein is best for when you’re going long periods without food, or overnight so that your body can be rebuilding muscles with the protein for a longer period of time. This protein sounds more efficient than whey, but both serve their purposes – however, casein protein is a more expensive option most of the time.
- Vegan/Plant
Vegan & plant proteins are good options, for those who are vegan or vegetarian (obviously), as whey and casein powders come from dairy, but that’s not all – they’re also a good choice for those who’s stomachs don’t react well with dairy proteins. Often times, people find that after they take whey or casein protein, they’ll either get nauseous or develop a stomach ache — with vegan/plant protein, that’s out of the equation. Types of vegan protein, are grains, legumes, seeds, pea, hemp, brown rice and soy. There’s many options, so take your pick out of all these easily-digestable, yet sometimes blander-tasting proteins.
- Collagen
With majority of proteins being purposed for muscle growth, collagen protein respectively holds it’s own in the industry, specializing in a different department. Collagen is a great protein for supporting joint health, digestion, skin, teeth, and organ health! Many people will add it in coffee or shakes as it’s a tasteless and dense protein, meaning you won’t even notice it!
- Grass-fed
Grass-fed protein is essentially normal dairy protein (whey, casein, etc.), but it comes from grass-fed cows. Many overall health & longevity oriented people prefer this option because the source of the protein is healthier, meaning the protein itself will be cleaner and have higher levels of immune-boosting, bioactive compounds. This option is more expensive from the rest of the dairy proteins yet often provides the same muscle-building benefits, so it’s up to you whether the extra price is worth the more “organic” and healthy source.
- Egg
Egg protein powder is a lactose-free protein option, and generally contains about 80% protein. This protein has its perks, as it contains all 9 essential amino acids — which other proteins, do not. Switching up to egg protein from time-to-time can result in greater muscle growth and strength increase, so give it a shot, along with our most popular muscle building supplement, Test-400!
After going to your local supplement store and picking up the protein that’s best for you, be sure to check out our products as well – we have anabolics for cutting, bulking, muscle growth, vascularity, recovery, and more. Let us know what you think and be sure to check out some of our other blogs!
