Learn what your protein powder supplement should have if you want to build lean muscle, shed unwanted fat, and improve strength fast.
7 Things to Look Out for When Choosing Your Protein Powder
1. 90% Whey Protein for Superior Absorption
When choosing your protein supplement, go with the one that best supports protein absorption. Choosing supplements with low-protein absorption won’t give you the results you want.
Make sure to grab the ones made of pure protein. Protein powder shouldn’t contain any unnecessary fillers or calories the body will only store as fat.
On the other hand, fast-reacting protein supplements can stimulate the body’s anabolic system. This type of whey protein is important to incorporate into your post-workout routine to maximize the anabolic window.
Anabolic Window: The anabolic window is the 30-minute time frame after a workout where the body shifts from a catabolic state to an anabolic one. During this window, the muscle needs as many nutrients as possible to recover properly.
2. Fast-Acting BCAAs
BCAAs are three of the nine essential amino acids that make up about 35% of our body’s muscle mass. The main role of BCAAs is to support muscle recovery and prevent muscle breakdown simultaneously.
As a gym-goer, taking protein powder supplements with fast-acting BCAAs allows you to recover from an intense gym day faster than you would without taking it.
Plus, BCAAs decrease the chances of your body burning protein. Instead, they feed the protein directly to your muscles.
It’s best to take BCAA-filled protein powder supplements after your workout, on recovery days, and calorie-restricted time frames.
BCAAs: The acronym stands for Branch-Chained Amino Acids. You can take them as a standalone supplement or use protein supplements that utilize them.
3. High Bioavailability
When it comes to whey protein, every second counts. As we said, the body needs to absorb the nutrients within 30 minutes of finishing a workout.
That’s why gym-goers should only choose protein supplements with a high bioavailability rate. Every single gram of protein, carbs, and other nutrients should go directly to your body.
The body only benefits from your supplement’s nutrients if it successfully absorbs them. Otherwise, it’ll just leave you bloated and gassy with zero results.
Bioavailability: It is the portion of a supplement, drug, or any substance that allows the components to successfully enter the body’s circulation.
4. Meal Replacement
When dieting, the goal is to eat fewer calories throughout the day. Sadly, most low-calorie foods don’t give us the energy we need to last extended hours without food.
To counter this, many gym-goers count on food supplements to get longer-lasting energy. But the question is: what food supplement can we use as a meal replacement?
Keep in mind that not every protein powder supplement out there is a suitable meal replacement. Most of them don’t have enough fast-acting protein and amino acids for gym-goers to source their energy from.
That’s why you need to use a whey protein supplement that provides an array of nutrients the body can absorb and convert to energy. As opposed to solely relying on food, using whey protein may help you lose weight faster without sacrificing lean muscle mass.
Tip: Feel free to pair this supplement with some high-protein foods to maximize the results from your protein diet plan for weight-loss or muscle gain.
5. Non-GMO
Before taking any type of supplement, make sure the label says its all-natural and non-GMO. Consuming artificially sourced supplements may lead to health complications.
Apart from delaying the gains, your body might react negatively if you consume too much of a GMO. Plus, creating GMO’s is not only a health hazard, but it’s also a threat to the environment.
GMO: The abbreviation GMO stands for genetically modified organism. Researchers and scientists create this as a cheaper alternative to many organic ingredients.
6. Leucine
Protein supplements will only be effective if you combine them with the right amino acids. Of the nine essential amino acids, leucine plays one of the most important roles.
In fact, leucine is responsible for activating the protein compounds. It’s the amino which allows the body to reap the full benefits of a protein powder supplement.
Plus, it can also lower the body’s blood sugar by releasing insulin from the pancreas. This is good news for fitness buffs who struggle with high blood sugar.
That’s why when choosing your protein supplement, make sure to go with one that has a good amount of amino acids such as leucine.
7. Taste
Let’s face it: everybody hates foul-tasting protein powder. You shouldn’t force yourself to stomach a whole bottle of a protein shake that tastes like rotten fruit and smells like rotten cheese –even if it has insane amounts of protein.
That’s why you should only use easy-to-mix, delicious protein powder supplements. You’re making enough sacrifices as it is. There’s no need to down protein shakes that taste terrible.
Tip: Drinking the same protein shake every day can get boring. To prevent this, try some delicious, exciting protein shake recipes every now and then.
It’s a great way to spice up your post-workout routine. Plus, it’ll give you something new to look forward to after an intense training session.
Watch the video below and find out what bodybuilding supplements Vince of V Shred takes every day and night:
Overall, these are the top seven things you need to keep an eye out for when buying your protein supplements. Make sure you only purchase the brand that checks all of these boxes.
If you want to maximize the benefits of whey protein, you need to combine it with regular exercise and healthy dieting. Create a body-specific fitness plan that aligns with your lifestyle, goals, and needs then stick to it. No excuses!
What do you look for in a protein powder supplement? Share your thoughts with us in the comments sections below!
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