Best protein supplements
Every bodybuilder, fitness junkie, or average exercise person knows the importance of protein. Protein supplements on the other hand, may be a different story. When you visit the endless aisles of GNC or your local sports nutrition store, you’ll find that there are several different protein supplements to choose from.
When you read the label, you may become further confused because all of the choices claim to be the best protein supplements. There’s a few things you need to consider when purchasing protein supplements. They are as follows:
- Effectiveness rating: The effectiveness rating is not necessarily a "real" rating. It’s more of a testimonial. To get an effectiveness rating, ask the workers at the store and/or your local gym what kind of protein supplements they think work best for them. You’ll typically have about 2-3 different answers; but this will help you drastically narrow the field.
- Brand: Brand is one of the biggest factors of finding the best protein supplement. There are some brands that are irrefutably the best protein supplements. I have tried off brand supplements and I personally feel they are not up to par. Off-brand protein supplements are macro-filtered and clump when you blend or shake them. Studies have shown that consuming these types of protein supplements can cause irregular bowel syndrome and explosive diarrhea. (sorry if I grossed you out) Higher quality proteins, such as Optimum Nutrition are micro-filtered, and therefore have a much finer powder that’s more easily digestible.
- Price: Price is a personal decision based on your budget. I must say though that when it comes to any health supplements, you typically get what you pay for.
- Servings: Amount of servings, serving size, and the amount of grams per serving is very important. Servings is also based on price. You want to try and get the best bang for your buck. But more important than price is how many grams of protein your getting per serving. Many of the lower quality protein supplements are cheaper but also cheat you because they only have 17-20 grams of protein per serving. A top quality brand like Optimum Nutrition has 24 grams of protein per serving. It’s more expensive than the cheaper, lower quality proteins, but it’s worth it.
- The Verdict: The best protein supplements by consumers and bodybuilders alike are the following:
Optimum Nutrition, Pro Lab N-Large 2, CytoSport Muscle Milk, and EAS Myoplex. Some of these are more specific to weight gain and bodybuilders, so do a little research on each of these proteins to find out which one is best for you.
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