Protein Powder: Put Down That Chicken Breast!

First, let's establish why you may want to consider consuming a protein powder.

If you are a healthy, adult male, are happy with your weight, and engage in moderate to high physical activity such as boxing 3-4 times a week you need about 2600-2700 calories a day. In accordance with the nutritional principles I mention elsewhere on this site, at times, up to 40% of that should be protein which equals about 285g of protein a day.

Take a look at the following table:

So, to consume 285g of protein a day, you would have to eat something like 4 chicken breasts, 7 cans of tuna,  48 eggs, 36 cups of milk -- get my drift.  Not only would this be near impossible for you to do on a consistent basis, but think of the cost.  I bought 2 chicken breasts for $7 yesterday.  That's $14/day or  $98 a week just on chicken.  That doesn't take into account all the carbs and fats you need to consume as well.

Thus, protein powders were born in order to make the consumption of the required levels of protein easier to do.  You don't have to rely entirely on your food to provide you with the optimal levels - you can mix a drink and cut down what you have to eat by at least half.  Now a days, they even taste good.  It wasn't so long ago, that is was almost preferable to try and eat the protein rather than stomach a protein shake -- now it has gotten tremendously better.

You are doing yourself a huge disservice if you are going to train hard and not consume the recommended amount of protein.  Your body needs that protein in order to repair itself.  Protein powders provide you with an easy method of doing this.

Until recently, I used a protein powder I could find at my local grocery store.  It was made from whey and the cost was right - about $24 for a 2lb bucket.  It had 24g of protein per 35g serving (approx 2 scoops).  I thought the price was pretty good until I came across Optimum 100% Whey Protein- Bodybuilding.com's #1 Supplement and Protein Powder, 3 straight years It's cost is significantly lower, about $21 for 2lbs even when I include a $30 shipping charge to get it to Canada and it provides a much higher quality protein.

You see, protein powders are not all created equal and the Optimum product above blends the best of all of them.  There are two types of protein powders:  isolates and concentrates. 

Isolate

Isolates are about 90% pure protein and are more expensive than their counterpart - concentrates.  They generally taste better than concentrates and can be made in three ways:

1. Ion-exchanged - This is the standard method of isolate creation, but the process removes beneficial peptides.  These peptides include lactoferrin, alpha lactalbumin, immunoglobins, beta lactoglobin and so on.  These peptides are active biological agents that can be effective for things like weight loss, other health and muscle building properties.  Even when they are present, as is the case in concentrates, they are present in minute quantities - a benefit, but not a show stopper by any means.



2. Micro/Nanofiltration - This has the best of both worlds, keeping the peptides intact but also filtering down to an isolate.  What you end up with is a protein powder that is very low in impurities while providing the health benefits, those little peptides can provide.



3. Hydrolized - The most expensive of the protein powders as it adds another step to the filtration process.  Basically, they take micro/nanofiltered protein and break the protein down even further.  This allows it to be absorbed and utilized by the body extremely quickly.  However, it has been stripped of all biological activity - no active little peptides and their beneficial health effects.  Great for a post workout shake when your muscles need it the most.

Concentrates

Protein powders made from concentrates tend to be about 80% pure protein.  Generally not as good tasting and uncomfortable for those who are lactose intolerant, concentrates main benefit is their cost and the fact that they maintain a complete biological profile - meaning all those peptides mentioned earlier are present and active.

There is an ongoing debate over the quality of whey protein vs soy protein.  Whey protein powders are the most widely accepted, but soy rears its head every once in a while.  There are hardcore bodybuilders and athletes on both sides of the debate.  I'll try and break it down for you in simple terms next, but personally I recommend going with Optimum 100% Whey Protein.

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