CHAPTER 1

When it comes to muscle growth, a lot of people imagine this:

A big guy finishing his intense workout and having a big gulp of his protein shake.

There’s no doubt that protein supplements are the most popular and sold product on the market. And there are so many variations coming out that I’ve lost track.

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to recognize the best protein supplements from all of the rest.

In this chapter, we’ll take a broad overview of the protein supplements out there and I’ll give you practical recommendations to make informed decisions.

Protein chips. What?

Protein pudding. Really?

What’s next? Protein cake?... Oh, never mind.

Anyways, the sheer amount of protein supplements out there can get confusing. And although some of these protein “everyday foods” do have some great nutritional values, I’d like to give my personal opinion on them:

They are unnecessary and expensive. Although there are certain protein bars that do taste damn good (Damn you, Quest Bars!), they’re not worth the price tag per serving.

And, if you want to make some tasty snacks that are high in protein, you can always use protein powder.

Protein powder is the best and most inexpensive product you could invest in. It comes in a plain form so you have to do most of the work to make snacks but the average cost per serving is 60-70 cents.

Now, for 22-25 grams of actual protein, that’s a good deal.

But there is an insane amount of protein powders to choose from. And I’m going to dedicate the rest of this point, helping you choose yours.

First, let’s take a look at what types of protein powders there are:

Whey Protein Powder

Whey protein is a substance isolated from whey (the liquid part of milk that separates during cheese production). Milk contains two main types of protein – casein and whey.

Whey used to be thrown away before it was discovered to be a complete protein, abundant in the amino acid leucine.

Once the discovery was made, the whey protein supplement was born. Today, this supplement is the most sold one and the grams you get for every dollar spent makes it well worth it.

It also tastes good and has a rich amino acid profile that aids in muscle growth.

Much like whey, casein protein also comes from milk. It accounts for roughly 80 percent of milk’ total protein content. The other 20 percent is left for whey.

You’ve likely heard that casein is a slow digesting protein and rightfully so. Casein has the unique ability to gel and is used as a binder and filler for some products.

Once you consume it, casein gels as it hits your stomach acid. This reduces the rate of digestion and allows for a steadier and more efficient use of the protein’s amino acids.

As you’ve guessed, egg protein comes from… eggs. It’s made by separating the yolk out and dehydrating the egg white.

Aside from being a great source of protein, this supplement also has the associated vitamins in minerals, found in egg whites. And because only the egg whites are used, there is no fat and only a small number of carbs in each serving.

Egg protein, like casein, is also a slow digesting one and offers the same benefits. The only downside of this protein is the cost. The average egg protein tub cost more than both casein and whey.

Also, some people are allergic to eggs which is something important to keep in mind.

And if the price of this supplement is a deal breaker, you can always eat a few eggs daily... like Rocky did back in the day.

Unlike the above 2 types of protein, this one is more difficult to read. In recent years, there have been quite a few attacks made at that supplement and soy beans in particular.

The attacks are based on the 2 main arguments made:

1. Soy beans have been genetically modified to produce greater crop generations.
2. Soy’s negative effects on hormone levels in men.

Let’s take a few paragraphs to dissect the two claims.

First, according to government data for the United States, roughly 91% of soybeans grown there are genetically modified. According to this source, the United States comes at #1 in soybean production with Brazil coming in second.

Now, we can’t be certain what percentage of soy protein powders are made from US beans. But, with them being in the lead of production, we can at least assume that the number is decent.

I won’t get much deeper into the topic of modified foods but, as of right now in 2017, I prefer to steer clear from them when possible. If you’re interested in learning more about GMOs, I recommend this resource.

For the second argument:

The main issue arises from the soybean’s phytoestrogens compound that mimics estrogen in the body. In guys, soy has been associated with a reduction in testosterone levels (one, two) and lower sperm count.

Whether these findings are completely true or not is up to debate. We can’t draw concrete decisions from one or two studies but given the data we currently have, my suggestion would be this:

A few servings of soy protein powder per week probably won’t do you any harm. But, if you consume protein powder daily, mix soy protein with another kind such as casein or whey.

Plant-based proteins have gained some bad rap from the broscience community. Deemed as an ‘incomplete protein’ that cannot serve the purpose of proper recovery and muscle growth.

These claims have no real base. And there are many studies that suggest that plant-based protein is as good as any other.

For example, this study was conducted to determine the effects of animal protein versus plant.

Over an 8-week period, the participants in the study took either rice protein isolate or whey protein isolate post-workout.

The researchers sought to determine whether the plant-based option would result in adequate recovery and body composition changes following an isocaloric diet.

They found no significant differences between the two groups.

Second, this study examined the effects pea protein had on participants who did resistance training vs. whey protein consumers.

There were 161 guys, aged 18 to 35 years in the study. They underwent 12 weeks of resistance training for their arms.

Participants were put in one of 3 groups: the pea protein, whey protein or placebo group.

Everyone had to take 25g of the proteins or placebo twice a day during the 12-week training period.

Tests were performed on biceps muscles at inclusion, during and post training. Muscle thickness was evaluated using ultrasonography, and strength was measured on an isokinetic dynamometer.

The results showed an increase in arm thickness over the course of the study. The pea group had a significant advantage over the placebo group.

This study does show that supplementing with pea protein and lifting weights does lead to gains. But whether it is superior to other types of protein powders is up for debate.

There are a ton of different factors that affect how someone responds to a given training protocol. Not just what supplements they are taking.

This study doesn’t disclose whether the participants were new or advanced lifters. They also cannot tell the high responders from the low responders.

On to the third protein type – hemp. This supplement is made of hemp seeds and there are a ton of health benefits added to them, 3 of which are:

The amount of protein per serving of hemp protein powder (one scoop or 30 grams) is only about 13.5 grams. But, it’s still a great choice to supplement with for general health and well-being.

The only downside to this supplement is the price. It’s a bit more expensive than the average.

As far as protein bars, cakes, cookies, ice creams, puddings, chips, etc. go, I don’t take any of them and don’t particularly like them. I prefer to use my protein powder and make those at home.

There are lots of great recipes out there.

As far as protein powders go, here’s my recommendation:

If you’re only going to use one type of protein, I recommend either casein or whey. Buy a smaller container and see how it treats you. Milk products can upset a sensitive stomach and if one or the other doesn’t suit you well, switch.

But, if you prefer to have many choices of protein powders with different tastes, I recommend mixing casein or whey with an egg or plant-based powder such as rice, hemp, soy or pea.