What’s the Purpose of Protein Powder?
Protein powder, like many athletic supplements, serves to supplement other vitamins, minerals or organic material your body needs to recover after a workout.
It’s concentrated protein that’s designed to make it easier to feed your muscles, organs and cells with the protein they need to build new tissue in a short amount of time and a small amount of food.
It typically requires mixing with a liquid of some sort in a blender or mixer bottle, you should never try to eat plain protein powder.
What is Protein Powder Made Of?
Protein powder’s ingredients vary from brand to brand, but many of them consist of a varying mix of powdered proteins from plants, eggs or milk (also known as casein or whey protein).
Protein powder mixes can also include additional flavoring, vitamins and minerals like collagen, thickeners and sometimes added sugars. Always be sure to read the ingredients list and nutritional breakdown of the mix before investing in a gigantic tub of protein powder.
Going even deeper beneath the surface, there are three different types of protein powder differentiated by the way in which they’re made.
The same proteins taken from animals or plants, when extracted and prepped differently, result in different mixes that have a varying effect on your body.
The three most common forms of protein powders are:
- protein concentrates
- protein isolates
- protein hydrolysates.
Protein concentrates come from extracting protein from whole food through heat in combination with acid or enzymes. This method typically results in a mix that’s 60-80% protein and 20-40% fat and carbs.
Protein isolates takes it a step further through a filtering process that removes those fats and carbs, resulting in a mix that’s about 90-95% protein.
Protein hydrolysates are produced by further heating the mix with acid or enzymes, breaking down the bonds of the amino acids and thus making it easier for your body to absorb the protein.
Now, let’s break down the best protein powders available out there for you and your muscular growth.