I was asked…

Hi Richie, how do l choose a good protein powder?
Thanks for your help,
—Jeff.S. Austin, TX.

Thank you Jeff for asking me such important and serious question!
You know that taking Whey protein at the right times can make all the difference between building an extra half-inch on your arms or adding 20 pounds to your personal best on the bench press. But not just any Whey protein will do. There are great Whey protein products and there are not so good whey products. And being able to tell the difference between them can be critical to your gains.

Whey protein structure

The first step in determining the worthiness of your protein is to give yourself a pat on the back. You recognize Whey’s benefits and are including it in your daily regimen. It’s enormously advantageous for several reasons, including Amino Acids and microfraction content (more on that in minute) and digesting rate.Whey is one of richest sources of BCAAs, which include the three Amino Acids, Leucine, isoleucine, and Valine. These bad boys have been shown to be absolutely key for muscle growth and even for energy drink during workout. Whey protein is also contains biologically active protein microfractions, such as alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, glycomacropeptides, immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidease, and various growth factors. These provide antioxidants, boost immune function, and enhance muscle recovery and growth.

Probably the most important factor that puts Whey protein miles a head of other forms of protein is digestion rate. It breaks down very rapidly. in fewer than 30 minutes it can fast track a good portion of it’s aminos to your muscles, and that quick delivery to muscles, and that quick delivery to muscle cells has been shown to be vital for pushing growth.
On it’s own, Whey protein powder is far more effective than any other protein on the market. But the effeciency of individual product containing Whey protein varies widely, mostly due to the other ingredients mixed into the final blend.

When you buy a protein powder, your intention is to buy protein and not carbs or fat, because they’re easy to get in your diet. So when your laying your hard-earned money for a jug of protein, skip the blends with high amounts of carbs and fat. A quick glance at the supplement facts panel will show you how much of each are in the product.
You’re not done yet. Keep scaning down the label until you get to the ingredients list. The information contained here is the key to knowing whether a protein powder ia really amazing or simply passable. First, you might notice that most Whey protein products contain more than one type of Whey. You might see Whey protein isolate, hydrolysate, or concentrate. To be considered a great Whey protein, the product must list Whey protein isolate as the very first ingredients. That’s because Whey protein isolates are the purest forms of protein you can get, with some being more than 90% protein. And hydrolyzed Whey protein isolate means that the high quality Whey has been predigested into smaller protein fragments for even faster digestion than regular Whey isolate. Whey protein concentrate on the other hand, goes through less filtering, which means fewer of the natural carbohaydrates found in milk are removed.The result is a Whey product that is much lower in protein content. Although most Whey protein concentrates are somewhere between 70-80% protein, and some can be less than 35%. This is why some companies make a big deal about their Whey protein isolate powders.

But to really know whether a Whey protein powder is top notch, you’ll need to do some math. Take the grams of protein per serving listed on the supplement facts panel and divide it by the serving size (in grams). This will give the percentage of protein in each serving. To be considered a great Whey protein powder, the percentage protein per serving (or Scoop) should be 80% or greater. For example, if a Whey protein powder provides 25 grams of protein per 28 grams scoop, that protein powder is about 90% protein and is a great powder for the money.