Types Of Protein Powders And Their Benefits

Table of Contents

What Are Protein Powders?

Protein powders are actually sources of concentrated protein that are derived from plant or animal foods, such as eggs, peas, rice, or dairy. There are three common forms that are available:

● Protein Concentrates

They are produced by extracting protein from the whole food by using enzymes or heat and acid.

● Protein Isolates

In this form, the carbs and fats are further removed so that the thing becomes more concentrated.

● Protein Hydrolysates

They are produced by heating them further with enzymes or acid which then breaks the bonds between amino acids. The hydrolysates are actually absorbed more quickly by the human muscles and body.

Types Of Protein Powders

There are many options that are available out there but most of the options originate from foods such as eggs, plant sources, and dairy. However, it is also worth noting that not all protein powders available out there are the same.

There are a few which are derived from good-quality sources while others are made with specifically rigid production standards. It is essential that you pick the best one for yourself.

Here are a few types of Protein powders that you could really try out for yourself:

● Whey Protein

Whey protein is the most common type of protein that one can see and get in the market. It is considered a high-quality protein and is derived from cow’s milk. The reason they are regarded as high-quality protein is because of their easy absorption and favorable amino acid content.

● Whey Concentrate

There are different subtypes of the Whey Protein that I talked about earlier. The Whey concentrate is essentially considered the low-quality option because of its limited refinement process. These concentrates contain up to eighty percent protein in their pure form but some of the products tend to run even slower. The remaining nutritional composition is made up of fats and carbohydrates.

● Whey Hydrolysate

Whey Hydrolysate is another type of Whey protein where the product has been treated with either acids, enzymes, or heat to pre-digest the product by breaking its peptide bonds. This results in a product that can be very rapidly digested and is easily tolerable for the majority of athletes. This type of protein powder is very expensive in the market and is harder to get a hold of if you want to purchase it.

Tip: You could try the best b protein powder as it is very healthy and also contains soy protein in it.

● Whey Isolate

For a product to be considered under this sub-category of protein powders, it needs to contain a minimum protein weightage of ninety percent. This pure and concentrated solution makes it an ideal powder source for athletes.

It can be a little expensive though if you are looking forward to purchasing it.

● Casein

Casein is a type of protein powder that is generally found in cow’s milk and is primarily used for making cheese. It has been extensively used by bodybuilders, before their bedtime because it is known to have slow digestive properties.

● Plant-based Protein

The plant-based protein powders are considered of low quality since they lack some of the essential amino that the Whey Protein powders otherwise have. Many of the plant based-products are known to have lower PDCAAS scores which are indicative of poor digestibility.

However, people who have an intolerance to dairy can opt for this.

● Egg Protein

The egg-based protein powders are harder to find than its other counterparts. Egg-protein powders are much more expensive as compared to whey, but if you can find an egg product then it might be more suitable for you if you are known to have some kind of milk allergy.

protein powders

Benefits Of Taking Protein Powders

There’s still plenty of scope for more research being conducted on Protein powders. Here are a few benefits that taking protein powders are known to have on health:

Protein is known to help in supporting muscle strength and build muscle mass, especially after resistance training. When it comes to the debate of dairy vs plant-based protein supplementation, there was a study conducted that found both of them equally effective for building muscle.
Protein supplementation has also been known to have a sort of replenishing effect, helping in suppressing the appetite by controlling hunger. Particularly for this particular reason, protein powders could be included in weight-management plans within a diet of reduced-calorie intake.
In obese and overweight patients, protein supplementation led to considerable reductions in total fat mass and body weight according to some systematic reviews.
In elder adults, supplementation of protein is known to be an effective and foolproof way to counteract and prevent loss of muscle mass and sarcopenia (according to a study that was conducted).