Hey everybody,

So, lots of people keep asking what is the best whey protein brand out there, and what type of whey should the buy ( concentrate, isolate, hydrolized) and I would like to address this.


First of all, all whey proteins out there are almost equal. Doesnt matter what brand you buy. The are only 2 things that differentiate whey protein brands. The first is the ratio of protein in the bottle. In other words protein/money ratio. If it says that a 25grams scoop contains 20grams of protein, then this protein is about 80% protein. The rest is carbs,fats and sweeteners. So, you only have to keep this in mind if you want to get your money's worth. The second is the type of protein they contain. There is protein concentrate, isolate and hydrolized protein. If you find 2 different brands that have about 80% protein and are both isolate form ( example ), then they are the same and it doesnt matter which one you choose. People usually choose trusted brands ( big names ), because its less likely to put something else in the bottle which will not be whey protein. I personally, dont have a lot of money to be spending on expensive protein and since I know that all protein powders are created equal, I go for a protein from UK called Impact whey protein ( unflavoured). Its extremely cheap ( you can get about 12lbs of protein with like 80$ or something) but it has no taste because I choose the unflavoured version (less money). To be quite honest, I miss the good old Syntha-6 because it has the best flavour on planet earth but what can you do if the budget is tight.

Now about the types. In simple words, hydrolized contains about 90-95% protein, isolate contains about 80-90% and concentrate contains about 50-80% protein. What they do, is take the milk and process it. They strip it of carbs and fats. The more advanced chemical methods they use, lead to more "pure" products meaning higher protein ratios. So, someone reading this will think "good, I m gonna get me some hydrolized protein". That will be a huge mistake. Hydrolized is more expensive than isolate and isolate is more expensive than concentrate. Lets say a hydrolized is 90% protein and a concentrate is 75%. But it is not like the hydrolized is only 15% more expensive. Its actually more than double the money. Furthermore, isolates and hydrolized proteins do not maintain the health benefits of milk or protein concentrate. Finally, research has shown that our body finds it difficult to absorb a highly processed protein like the hydrolized ( and the isolate to some degree). So, even if your scoop is 90% protein you will not absorb the majority of it. In fact, you will be surprised to how ineffective it actually is. Its another one of those gimmicks. Companies are just trying to rob you of your money.

To summarize, your best option is to find a protein concentrate ( which will be cheap) and it will be of a trusted and well-known company. A blend of concentrate/isolate is also a viable option but I wouldnt go for it if I had to choose. Finally, a good idea is a protein concentrate/casein because research has shown that casein can be a little more effective than whey protein. But again, its expensive and you dont have to buy it if you cant afford it. Syntha-6 would be an example of concentrate/isolate/casein mix.

Thats all I had to say about this. Please post any questions or comments below :)

#HTH!
Kostas

Very good info once again!!! I have been doond a bit of research trying to understand everything and how it works and processes thru the body. I currently am taking GNC's Pro AMP Extreme 60. Super delicious cheaper than the BSN products with added leucine and more amino acids than the BSN...(so I'm told). Anyway I have no basis for comparison but so far it has given me great results. Plus it helps get my macros spot on without question. What are ur thoughts of this product? As u are very knowledgable and full of great info!

I m glad you found this useful. About the protein product you mentioned. Well, I havent bought it of course, but judging from the label ( supplement facts), I can tell you my opinion about it.

- How much do you buy it for? It must be expensive!
-It doesnt say how much an actual scoop weighs. It says 3 scoops are 1 serving but how many grams is that? It says there are 60grams of protein in every serving but how many grams is that serving? I must be blind.
-Its mainly protein isolate/hydrolized which as I said before, I wouldnt go for. I prefer straight concentrate.
- For a highly process product it still contains a lot of carbs and fat. I would expect less since you are paying relatively a lot!
- Most protein products contain leucine but to be honest, if you take 2 people who eat the same and train the same and everything is the same, but one supplements 10 more grams of leucine whereas the other doesnt, you wont see any difference in their results. Thats because 99,999% of people take enough leucine from their diet. ( milk products, meat products etc.etc.)
- I suspect 3 scoops are about 80-85 grams so this product is about 75-80% protein. Again..I would expect much higher ratio for a protein isolate/hydrolized.
- The only positive thing I might mention would be the taste. People say its amazing, so i'll give it that!

Now, I m not saying you wont make results with it. I m not even saying that you will make 5% more results, if you move on to a protein concentrate. My main concern is that it is way too expensive for the results it provides which are same to other,cheaper protein products if not less.

Thats my honest opinion.
Kostas

Wow thx for the response. Yeah I think it's a little more expensive than I want to pay. But was told and read it included more than the typical whey protein isolate. Serving size is 3 scoops (79g) protein 60g. Carb 7g. Fat 1g. sugar 2g. With 280 cal. I pay about $60 for 3 lbs. pretty expensive but cheaper and more beneficial than the BIG name brands (so I'm told). I also was told, which is another reason why I bought this product, is that if you're going to take a protein supplement after your workouts to take an isolate because it's a fast absorbing whey protein, correct? Thx for your awesome knowledge and insight. I still am searching for other products that are cheaper but beneficial.

Allen

In my opinion its way too expensive. My protein product is also 75% protein and I buy 12lbs with the 30 dollars you are paying for 3lbs. So its 4 times more expensive and slighly less effective. It has better taste though. haha

You were told a lot of lies, it seems :-P
A protein isolate will indeed be absorbed faster than a protein concentrate but so what? Its not like it matters. Even if you have your meal 2 hours after training or 4 hours after training it will make absolutely no difference at all.
To be quite honest your "pre-workout protein" will be more important because if you eat a piece of chicken 30 minutes before your training, the protein from it, will become available to your muscles just after you finish training or even while you are training which is fantastic because the repair process can start sooner. But all this, is pointless, because your total protein intake is the only thing that matters, and protein timing has been shown to change nothing.

Finally, lets say that a protein concentrate will be absorbed in 15 minutes and a protein isolate will be absorbed in 10 minutes. Do you think those 5 minutes make any difference? See how they are trying to scam you?

Kostas

Oh wow. Yeah that makes a lot of sense! I think I need to re evaluate my choices here. I didn't know the two differences were that minimal. Well thx for the bad news I guess. Hahaha! But that's The info I need to learn

Hi everyone,

I just want to add some thing to original post of Kostas about whey proteins.

Whey isolate is further processed whey concentrat to remove fat and lactose. Consequently have higher price. Because of lactose free, isolate can be used by people, who are lactose intolerant.

Whey hydrolysate is processed in that way it is "predigested" and can be easier (faster) absorbed by body.

If you don't have health problems and too much money, stick to concentrate.

To overcome advantage of hydrolisate and it's high price, take some protein as pre-workout meal/shake/snack. Or use BCAA or amino mix supplement before or during workout.

Back on discussion:

Leucine is in group of essentials amino acids and I guess there is no protein source without it. It's also one of the BCAA. Leucine as itself is one of the most important muscle builders. It is also the one taken from muscle, when energy should be provided from proteins.

I agree that difference in absorbtion between isolate and concentrate can be neglected, for us, ordinary mortals without saudi sheikhs for sponsors. But timing (and type) of protein intake is crucial as it is for carbohydrates! Let's see why: your body is monitoring all the time functions and status, in our case of muscles. After biceps training, when you are without energy and nutrients, body monitors next thing: biceps status: severe damage -> urgent repair; quadriceps status: OK. If you didn't provide proteins (amino acids) and energy as pre- or post-workout meal, or you provide it only after 2 or 4 hours after workout, body will still find the way to react. It will take proteins from your quad for building material and energy to repair biceps. Status of biceps after repair will be OK, but still for quad will be OK. So body won't go back to repair your quad when you will provide material after 4 hours.

That's why it is important to refill and refuel your body constantly, especially after strenuous workouts. As simple and complex carbohydrates have their functions and "rules", also proteins have their task and differences as fast and slow (whey and casein) release.

BR, Gregor