Protein powder, one of the most popular supplements among sports supplements, can be difficult to choose the right protein powder because it is widely used and there are many alternatives on the market. There are a few points to consider when choosing the right protein powder among protein powder alternatives that have many variables, from protein source to production method. Understanding what to look for when buying protein powder is of great importance to ensure that you choose a product that is compatible with your health goals, nutritional preferences and sports performance goals.

How to Identify the Quality of Protein Powder?

The source of whey protein powder is milk, so the quality of the protein powder starts with the source of the milk. Factors such as the diet of the cow from which the milk is obtained and the drugs used will affect the quality of the protein powder. For example, it is very important that the milk obtained is provided from grass-fed cows that graze only on pasture and are raised without the effects of artificial growth hormones (rBST and rBGH), antibiotics, pesticides, or herbicides. The source from which the protein is obtained should be quality animal protein sources such as whey protein, milk protein, casein, or egg protein, and the protein ratio should be at least 80%.

The production process of whey protein is a very important determinant in understanding the quality of protein powder. Whey protein concentrates are produced by ultrafiltration, while whey protein isolates are produced by CFM (Cross Flow Microfiltration) and Ion-Exchange method after ultrafiltration. CFM is the production method that provides the highest quality content in whey protein production. In the Ion Exchange method, both chemical substances are used and some important amino acid fractions such as GMP (glycomacropeptide) cannot be filtered.

In addition, the substances added to the final product determine the quality of the protein powder. It should not contain amino acids such as glycine, taurine, creatine, which artificially increase the protein value of the product and are used for nitrogen spiking.

In short, protein powders produced from raw materials such as grass-fed, CFM isolate and 80% and above ultrafiltered concentrated whey and containing minimal additives such as flavors and sweeteners are of higher quality.

What to Pay Attention to When Reading Protein Powder Label Content?

While many products provide nutritional information, it may not always be possible to see the content information that shows which ingredients these nutritional values ​​come from. For example, while the protein content appears high in nutritional values, the source of this protein may be cheap and low-quality protein sources such as soy and pea. For this reason, when reading the protein powder content label, it is necessary to pay attention to the content information as well as examining the nutritional values. It is also important to remember that the ingredients are written from most to least when reading the content information.

What are the Types of Protein Powder?

Protein powders can generally be classified into four types:

1. Isolate Protein Powder: It is a type of protein powder that contains only whey protein isolate. When buying isolated protein powder, we recommend that you choose protein powders that contain 88-92% CFM whey protein isolate instead of products that say isolate and have 80-85% protein.
2. Concentrated Whey Protein Powder: It is a protein powder containing whey protein isolate and concentrate. We recommend that you stay away from products containing 65-75% protein and prefer protein powder containing only CFM whey protein isolate and ultrafiltered whey protein concentrate at 78-82%.
3. Complex Protein Powders: It is a protein powder that contains a mixture of proteins such as casein, milk protein, egg protein, whey protein isolate and concentrate. In complex protein powders, we recommend that you choose protein powders containing 78-82% protein instead of products with 65-75% protein.
4. Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Powder: It is a protein powder type that has been pre-digested with enzymes and has a reduced molecular weight. Protein with a reduced molecular weight is digested much faster. If the molecular weight is between 500 - 1000 dA (Dalton) it provides direct absorption without requiring digestion. The hydrolyzed type that provides the fastest absorption and increases muscle protein synthesis the most is 500-1000 dalton (dA) hydrolyzed whey protein. We recommend that you do not consume it if the hydrolyzation rate is not specified when purchasing hydrolyzed whey protein.

How to Choose the Appropriate Protein Powder According to Your Goal?

Whether your goal is muscle development, getting stronger or losing body fat, if you are doing fitness, weight training, doing sports that require athletic performance or if you are in a diet/illness period, your protein needs increase. Therefore, whatever your goal is, there are criteria you need to consider when choosing the right protein powder.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the source of the protein. Whey protein is the highest quality protein source known along with egg whites. However, if it is obtained from milk protein, it is also very important that the source of the milk is grass-fed as mentioned above.

In addition to the protein source, the content of the product and its protein content are of great importance. We recommend that you measure the protein value per 100 grams, i.e. as a percentage, rather than the amount of protein per serving. You can do this by simply dividing the amount of protein in 1 serving of the product by the serving size and then multiplying by 100. For example, this ratio is calculated as 24 grams of protein / 30 grams of serving = 0.8 x100 = 80% protein for Nutrade Premium Protein . Many brands offer 24 grams of protein in 32-36 grams of serving. Although this seems normal as a protein amount per serving, it actually indicates very low protein levels. For example, a product containing 24 grams of protein in a 32-gram serving has a 75% protein rate, and a product containing 24 grams of protein in a 36-gram serving has a 66.6% protein rate.

How to Use Protein Powder Properly?

Before using protein powder, you should determine your daily protein needs and calculate how much of it you can get from food. In addition, since each protein source has different digestion and absorption times, in order to get the best efficiency, these protein consumptions should not overlap and a balanced release should be achieved over 24 hours.

Daily protein requirement is recommended as 1.5-2 grams per kilo for those who do fitness, weight training, sports that require athletic performance, and those who are in diet/illness periods. Here, you can meet the part you cannot get from foods with protein powders such as Premium Whey , Premium Protein or Premium Isolate . If you consume products such as Postworkout , EAA , BCAA , Glutamine, do not forget to calculate their amount as protein.

When and How to Consume Protein Powder?

There are several different ways to use protein powder. You can consume it 1-3 hours before and immediately after exercise. If you are using free form products such as Postworkout , EAA , BCAA , Glutamine , we recommend that you consume these products first after training and then protein powder.

You can also consume protein powder before or with meals. At this point, you should calculate the amount of protein you need daily. As Nutrade, we recommend that you consume at least 1.5 grams of animal protein per kilogram per day for muscle development and athletic performance. During periods when you are on a low-calorie diet and muscle loss is high, consuming 2 grams of protein per kilogram will help keep muscle loss at a minimum level and burn fat with its thermic effect.

When consuming protein powder in shaker form, always add water first, then protein powder. Instead of mixing too hard, first draw a horizontal circle with the shaker for 10 seconds, then shake slowly 8-10 times. Then wait 10 seconds and consume.

How Long Before Exercise Should You Drink Protein Powder?

The time you should consume protein powder may vary depending on the supplements you use or the time of your meals. If you are going to consume protein powder before exercise, we generally recommend that you consume it 1-3 hours before exercise.

Should Protein Powder Be Consumed On An Empty Stomach?

Protein powder does not have to be consumed on an empty stomach. We recommend that free form amino acids ( BCAA , EAA , Glutamine , Creatine , Preworkout , etc.) be consumed on an empty stomach, before other foods. However, protein powder is in peptide form and requires digestion. Therefore, it can be consumed on an empty or full stomach.

What Should Protein Powder Be Consumed With?

You can consume protein powder with any kind of food. The most important thing is to plan your nutrition by sticking to the macros just like your training program. You can consume protein powder after training with fast carbohydrates and fructose-containing fruits or with a normal meal.

Is Protein Powder Harmful to Health?

It is often wondered whether protein powder is harmful to health. However, contrary to many thoughts, protein powder is a product produced from milk and does not pose any harm to health.

Does Protein Powder Damage the Liver?

When discussing whether protein powder is harmful to health, it is often thought that it has a negative effect on the liver. However, contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence that protein powder consumption has a negative effect on the liver.

Does Protein Powder Make You Gain Weight?

If your goal is to gain weight when consuming protein powder, consuming at least 1.5 times the amount of protein per pound of body weight, along with adequate calorie intake, will help you gain weight. However, contrary to popular belief, as long as you do not exceed your daily protein intake and pay attention to your overall diet and calorie intake, consuming protein powder will not cause you to gain weight in an unhealthy way.

Can Women Use Protein Powder?

Protein powder, which is consumed for various needs such as gaining weight, losing weight, improving nutritional quality, can be consumed by anyone who wants to support their protein consumption. The idea that protein powder can only be used by male athletes who aim for muscle development has no truth to it.

Does Protein Powder Affect Muscle Growth?

Protein is the component that forms the structure of cells and supports the formation of a strong muscle structure in your body; therefore, protein can be shown as one of the basic substances of muscle development. It supports and accelerates the repair of muscles damaged and tired during sports.