Hey guys,

This week’s blog post is going to be about protein powders. I am going to go over the different sources of protein powders, good reputable brands in Lebanon and protein supplementation vs. food sources. Protein consumption is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass.

What are the different protein powder sources?

Sources include whey, casein, pea, hemp, soy and brown rice protein powders.

Is it necessary to consume protein in supplement form?

No, it definitely is not mandatory, it however does simplify life if one does not have time to consume protein food sources like chicken, eggs, beef or fish.

Let us go over the types of protein powder and what the pros and cons of each them are.

1. Whey protein

Whey protein is probably the most popular protein sources on this list. It is both a milk source of protein and full of hypertrophic benefits.

Pros:

Contains essential amino acids, it is fast-digesting and works effectively to boost post-workout recovery.

Cons:

Not vegan-friendly, most whey protein powders also contain lactose.

2. Casein

Casein protein is also derived from a milk source, it’s excellent for night-time recovery.

Pros:

Slow-digesting protein, good to take as an overnight supplement.

Cons:

Not vegan-friendly, also contains lactose.

3. Egg-white

Egg-white protein powder is an egg-based supplement, it gives us the benefits of egg whites (protein-wise) without the potential adverse health effects.

Pros:

Egg white benefits without risks of high cholestrol, etc.

Cons:

May not be as satiating as whey or casein protein powders.

4. Pea protein

Pea protein is a plant-based protein powder, specifically, it is derived from yellow split peas.

Pros:

Good for vegans and people who are sensitive to gluten, also effective for post-workout recovery (due to it’s faster digestion rate). Furthermore, it is also a satiating protein source.

Cons:

Not a complete protein source.

Other plant-based protein sources include hemp protein powder, soy protein and brown rice protein powder. These sources are ideal for vegans, check out my previous post on vegan protein supplementation for further education on this subject!

Here are my protein powder recommendations based on both their availability (in Lebanon) and their taste/protein content.

My protein powder recommendations in Lebanon:

Recommendation #1:

Optimum Nutrition‘s Gold Standard protein powder

Why?

I love it’s taste. It also has an ideal protein profile (one scoop offers 24 grams of protein).

Recommendation #2:

Muscle pharm’s Combat protein powder

Why?

I love the variety of flavors for this powder (includes Snickerdoodle, chocolate peanut butter cup and cookies and cream) . I also recommend trying Muscle pharm’s Combat Crunch bars. Combat protein powder also has an ideal protein profile (one scoop offers 25 grams of protein).

Recommendation #3:

Weider’s Vegan protein powder (for Vegans)

Why?

This is one of the few vegan protein powders I have found in Lebanon so far. The taste is good and this protein powder offers a solid 23 grams of pea and rice protein per scoop. I also recommend trying Weider’s super tasty protein cookie.

In conclusion, there are milk, egg and plant-based protein sources that provide both hypetrophic and health benefits. These include whey protein, casein, pea-protein, among many other protein sources. I recommend a few of my favorite supplement brands (not sponsored) , these include Combat crunch by Muscle pharm among other brands.

I hope that you enjoyed this post on protein powders, please let me know what you thought about it in the comments section below.

Sources:

https://www.gainful.com/blog/7-types-of-protein-powder/