Pick Your Powder – Look For A Blend Of Various Proteins In Your Favorite Supplement

By admin on Feb 28, 2010 in Supplements

Casein, whey, and egg protein powder
When you want a slower, more sustained release of protein to feed your muscles, try a blend of whey, egg white and casein protein powders. These three provide a range of digestion rates that starts at very fast (whey), includes a moderate-speed protein (egg white) and finishes with the slow-digesting casein. This mixture of protein powders delivers a continual and steady supply of amino acids to muscles throughout the day.

Whey Protein
Whey’s rapid absorption by the body and its rich branched-chain amino acid (BGAA) profile are the likely reasons a plethora of research shows it’s extremely good at boosting muscle protein synthesis, particularly around workouts.

Choose: Mixed-protein products that list whey first on the ingredient roster, preferably as whey protein isolate or whey protein hydrolysate.

Egg White Protein
Egg protein had its heyday long before whey came on the scene; it contains as many as 40 different proteins, with the majority being ovalbumin. Like whey, it’s rich in BCAAs as well as arginine, the amino that boosts nitric oxide and growth hormone levels.

Choose: Look for mixed-protein products that provide egg white protein, which may also be listed as egg albumin or ovalbumin.

Casein Protein
When casein hits your stomach, it forms a gel that’s extremely difficult for digestive enzymes to break down. The enzymes slowly chip away at the casein over many hours, supplying your body with a slow and steady stream of amino acids, which makes it the perfect protein to take before bed. But research has found that casein also promotes protein synthesis around workouts.

Choose: Products that list some form of casein protein, such as micellar casein, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate or potassium caseinate.