What Protein Should I take?

What to Look at When Buying Protein

The Number one mistake "Newbies" make when buying Protein is to fall for the "hype" of a product. If you buy bodybuilding magazines you probably know exactly what I'm talking about, all of those flashy adds with people who have put on pounds and pounds of muscle all while loosing massive amounts of fat, and all from a protein powder? Now experience will tell most of us that this is an unrealistic claim to make however some of my newer readers just getting into the iron game will see this as their magic bullet. It's not!

Protein supplements will not make or break you if you already have a solid nutrition plan and weight training plan. Protein supplements will however make meeting your protein requirements much easier. So please do not fall for the hype or the flashy advertisements, instead go online and look at some reviews, kinda like the ones below ;]

When buying protein you need to think about your needs. There are three main types of protein supplements you can buy. These are whey, casein, and a blend formula. Both whey and casein come from milk protein. (Ever heard of Curds and Whey?) Both of these proteins have a very key part to play in your nutrition profile and it IS possible to get both forms from whole foods. However this can be problematic since milk's protein contains only 30% Whey and a whopping 70% Casein. This makes it not really good for anything. This is where supplements come in, in a supplement form of either whey or casein you get only pure whey or casein with out the other.

Buying Whey Protein Powders

The use for whey protein is simple, Take it after your work out! This is because whey protein is the fastest digesting protein allowing you to capitalize on the 1 hour anabolic window after your workout where your muscles are looking for protein to help rebuild. You will want to keep this in mind when looking to buy a whey protein supplement. You will want something that is 100% whey and has a moderate amount of carbohydrates to help re-fuel your body!

Gaspari Nutrition IntraPro

Gaspari Nutrition IntraPro is my absolute #1 Choice for whey proteins. Why? The #1 thing I love about this protein is the taste. I know that I shouldn't say this as a gym rat however I'm a strong believer in taste being a big factor. Many proteins have the same grams of protein however if they don't taste delicious you will never drink it!

Buying Casein Protein Powders

Casein is the exact opposite of whey in regards to how quickly it digests. Casein protein reacts in your body and expands. This allows you to have a slow and steady stream of protein into your blood stream. This is perfect for when you sleep to allow you to stay anabolic throughout your sleep and make sure you don't loose what you worked for all day.

Optimum 100% Casein Protein

Now for Casein Proteins there is really only one option for me and that is Optimum 100% Casein Protein. They have so many flavor options and all of them are the bomb. This is important especially before bed. When you mix this in water it is so thick and creamy it's ridiculous and delicious!

Buying Time Released Protein Powders

Now when you see "Time Released" on a protein bottle all this means is a mixture of proteins that will give you the quickness of whey but also the duration of casein. These protein powders are great for replacing meals as well as a cheap alternative to buying two different protein powders. These proteins are definitely the best choice for a beginner!

Gaspari Nutrition MyoFusion

For the best time released protein we are again back to Gaspari Nutrition for their MyoFusion. This is the best tasting protein I have ever tasted and I love it in the middle of the day as a snack. I always make sure I have at least one container in my house at all times! This stuff rocks.