5 Protein Powders that can Help Strengthen and Build Muscle, With or Without Exercise

Exercise of some type is always recommended for good health. Even as we get older and muscle begins to deteriorate to varying degrees, it is essential to continue exercising, working your muscles with strength-based exercises, and providing your body with the protein it needs to thrive. This articles helps you determine which protein powder best suits your goals, desires, and needs.

There are many protein powders on the market, but which type and what level of quality demands attention? As with any supplement, one must research and shop around for the best value.

Whey Powder is the Most Practical and Beneficial Protein Powder

There are a few different types of protein powders available, all promising muscle-building and fat burning. Some are loaded with additives and sweeteners that are not so nutritious - and worse. Those should be avoided, of course. The closer to truly natural, the better.

But don’t overdue it. Dr. Doug Paddon-Jones, University of Texas Medical Branch assistant professor and Director of Exercise Studies says, “Given that your body won’t use much beyond 30 grams of protein at a time, it doesn’t make sense to load up with more than this.”

Here are some helpful tips for choosing the right protein powder for you:

• 1. Soy based protein powders - Sorry, no soy allowed here, personally. Too many soy products are from GMO soy. But even non-GMO soy offers digestion problems. Remember, these powders are concentrated from their sources.

• 2. Rice based protein powders - Vegans and even some athletes prefer this source for protein powder. It has higher amounts of L-arginine, an amino acid vasodilator that improves blood flow. But it doesn’t contain all the amino acids needed for protein assimilation. So why bother, unless you’re willing to fill the missing amino acid gaps with other foods and supplements.

• 3. Egg based protein powders - Eggs are a great source of complete proteins, harnessing a very high protein efficiency ratio (PER). Egg protein powders use the whites of eggs, but what types of eggs are used? It may not be easy to find an egg protein powder that’s made from eggs by truly free roaming chickens – something that some people may want.

• 4. Casein based protein powders - Casein is the part of milk that curds separates from the liquid whey. If you’re old enough, you might remember a nursery rhyme about a “little miss Muffet sat on a tuffet (footstool or clump of matter for sitting) eating her curds and whey… .” The curds were casein rich, which contains many of the allergens of milk and is harder to digest. But some body builders and weight lifters swear by it – partially due to it’s slow-digestion properties.

• 5. Whey protein powders - Bingo! Whey protein is the winner for most of us normal folks. Not only does it provide easily digestible protein levels, but it also contains precursors to help your liver produce glutathione, the vital master antioxidant that is deficient in most of us and is difficult to directly supplement.

One unused article source claimed to debunk the notion of non-denatured whey, claiming whey protein from raw milk is illegal. But that’s not true. Raw milk cheese is even legal in the USA. And whey is the liquid separated from the cheese making process. The highest quality whey protein powder is cold pressed from pasture-free, grass fed cows without injected hormones such as rBGH or antibiotics. And there are many - just make sure they go easy on the sugar without using artificial sweeteners.