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Best whey protein powders to fuel muscle growth
With gyms and fitness studios reopening their doors, here are the whey protein powders that'll help you hit the ground running as you reacquaint yourself with the squat rack
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There's a reason why everyone bigger than you in the gym is lugging around a protein shaker with their gym towel and water bottle. Incorporating whey protein into your training cycle helps up your intake of that all-important macronutrient credited with bulking, getting stronger and maintaining lean muscle mass.
Whether you choose to consume it before or after your workout, consuming a whey protein supplement alongside a good diet and structured training will help form a stronger base to keep the gains train moving. Not only that, it'll also give your body a boost when it comes to recovering from a tough session in the gym or heading out for a lung-busting double-digit-mile run.
Whey protein comes in many different forms and flavours, with more and more brands offering their own unique blend. While choice is always a good thing, it does make knowing what to look for in the supplement all that more challenging. Which is why we've put together a few pointers on what to pay attention to when upping your protein intake with a whey protein powder, along with the best options to get shaking.
What different types of whey protein are there?
While most whey protein supplements come in powder form, ready to be mixed with cold water, milk or your preferred plant-based alternative, different types of whey protein go through different processing methods to offer purer and less pure strains.
Isolate whey protein usually contains the strongest percentage of protein, along with a lower level of fat, carbohydrate and lactose content per serving. With whey protein concentrate, that protein percentage drops slightly, while fat and carbohydrate content jumps up and can offer more in the way of flavour to make it a little more enjoyable to consume.
There’s also hydrolysate whey protein, which is considered a more pure form of protein that has been shown to be absorbed much quicker by the body to start going to work. That ability to quickly release that whey protein into the body does mean you’ll likely need to pay more to benefit from it, though.
What other whey protein ingredients should you look for?
Along with the whey, most protein powders will also pack in a range of different ingredients that your body may or may not love. Pay attention to the level of sugar and fat content in single servings to make sure you’re also not putting a lot of bad stuff into your body too, and if lactose is an issue for you, you'd be much better off considering the vegan protein powder alternative.
A strong presence of natural ingredients is always favourable, while some powders will also offer digestion enzymes that help with absorption and the digestion of protein. Ultimately, the purer the protein form the better when you’re surveying that ingredients list.