Protein is a fundamental building block for muscle, skin, and bone. Without it, your body wouldn’t be able to create the hormones and enzymes in needs. When it comes to building lean muscle, protein is particularly important because it contains amino acids. Amino acids are organic compounds crucial for protein synthesis, tissue repair, and nutrient absorption.
While a balanced diet can help provide most of the protein needed to build muscle mass, sometimes life and dietary restrictions get in the way. This is were protein powders come in to help make sure you get enough protein each day.
Additionally, protein powders can significantly aid in muscle growth when combined with regular exercising and weightlifting. If you’re new to protein powders, and building lean muscle is one of your fitness goals, you might be unsure what protein is best for muscles.
The following explains a bit more about protein powder, the different types available, and how to choose the right one for your needs.
The Benefits of Protein Powder
Eating foods rich in protein such as red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy will help you on your journey to building lean muscle. However, natural supplements like protein powder can help you fill in any dietary gaps.
But is protein powder a practical method of supplementing the protein you already consume as part of a balanced diet? In short, the answer is yes. Here’s what you need to know about the proven benefits of protein powder:
Muscle Growth
The leading reason so many people consume protein powder supplements each year is because they promote lean muscle growth. One notable scientific study shows that protein powder significantly enhances changes in muscle strength and size.
The research also suggests that people get the most out of protein powder when combining its consumption with physical training (i.e., workouts and weightlifting).
Damaged Muscle Repair
It’s no secret that some individuals accidentally damage their muscles due to overexertion from their physical training. As you may already know, the healing process can take some time.
Another benefit of protein powder is how it can aid with damaged muscle repair. Protein powder is also popular with athletes who wish to speed up recovery from muscle soreness after exercise. One research study conducted with whey powder suggests taking protein powder after exercise improves muscle performance and protein synthesis.
Weight Management
It can sometimes be challenging to eat enough protein-rich foods without eating too many calories and gaining weight and total fat mass. One benefit of protein powder is how it can help you raise your protein consumption in a very calorie efficient way. Plus, it helps you feel fuller for longer, resulting in infrequent snacking.
Additional Nutrition
Lastly, protein powder offers those who consume it additional nutrition. Vegetarians and vegans, in particular, can find it challenging to meet their recommended daily intake of protein. Plant based protein powders are a great way for vegetarians and vegans to get more protein in their diet.
The Different Types of Protein Powder
When thinking about what protein is best for muscles, you’ll have noticed there are many choices. With so many different protein powder products on the market, how do you know what is best for you?
Here is a brief round-up of the top protein powder products available, along with information on why people buy them?
Whey Protein Powder
Whey protein is a water-soluble protein derived from milk. It’s the liquid that remains after milk gets curdled and strained. Whey is arguably the leading protein powder among the various nutritional supplements used daily by athletes and bodybuilders, among others.
One reason that whey protein powder is so popular with people building lean muscle is that it contains high levels of leucine, an amino acid beneficial for muscle growth and repair.
Vegan Protein Powder
Athletes, bodybuilders, and anyone else serious about their fitness that follows a plant-based diet can’t consume whey protein powder as it gets sourced from cow’s milk. Thankfully, there’s an alternative product that vegans can consume instead.
Vegan protein powder is perfect for vegans and also vegetarians following a plant-based diet who don’t want to consume anything derived from an animal. That’s because vegan protein powder contains ingredients sourced from protein-rich, plant-based foods like legumes.
Other Types
The above two types of protein powder are the most popular for building lean muscle. It’s worth mentioning there are other types used by some people as well. For example, there’s casein protein powder. Like whey, it gets derived from cow’s milk, and it’s a protein that comprises 80% of all protein found in milk. In contrast, whey comprises the remaining 20%. There is also collagen protein which is great for hair, skin, nails, and joints.
Whey protein tends to be more popular than casein protein because whey gets digested by the body much quicker than casein. However, casein often gets consumed before bed as it sustains prolonged protein digestion through the night. There’s also grass-fed whey protein powder, which is a more natural supplement than regular whey. The difference is that the cows it gets derived from have a grass-fed diet and no added hormones or antibiotics.
What Protein Is Best For Muscles?
Now that you understand more about the different types of protein powder available, the question remains: which protein for lean muscle building should you consume?
Propello Life Whey Protein is perhaps the best choice for individuals building lean muscle who consume a mixed diet of meat, poultry, fish, fruit, and vegetables. It’s a product sourced from New Zealand, grass-fed cows, and is free of antibiotics, GMOs, and hormones. It’s available in two flavors: vanilla bean and West Indies cocoa. Propello Life Whey Protein contains the leading amino acids necessary for lean muscle building.
Propello Life Vegan Protein is ideal for individuals following a plant-based diet (vegetarians and vegans). It’s also perfect for people that may not necessarily follow a plant-based diet but are lactose-intolerant and cannot consume anything derived from cow’s milk. Available in spiced vanilla and dirty chocolate flavors, Propello Life Vegan Protein comprises protein from pea, hemp, chia, and sacha inchi. It also contains chicory root and healthy fats from coconut oil powder. As with the whey protein, the Propello Life Vegan Protein doesn’t contain any GMOs or chemicals.
How to Use Protein Powder
The instructions differ slightly between different protein powders. However, the general rule is you mix a few ounces of protein powder (6-8 for Propello Life Whey and 8-10 for Propello Life Vegan Protein) with water and consume the drink within 30 minutes of the end of your workout. You can also add the protein powder and water mix to blended whole fruits and vegetables and create the perfect smoothie or midday snack.
Conclusion
Choosing the right protein powder for building lean muscle, such as Propello Life Whey or Vegan, is an excellent way to supplement an existing balanced diet and exercise regime.