Types of Protein Supplements

Whether you are a professional strength athlete or one of the fitness enthusiasts, you must have heard about the benefits of consuming protein supplement.  However, not many understand the difference between different forms of protein present in that box. So, here is all the information that will help you to understand and choose the right box for yourself.

All the protein supplements vary depending on the source of protein used. Egg protein majorly contain egg albumin whereas dairy based protein includes whey or casein, on the other hand, vegan protein supplements include protein sourced from pea, brown rice, pumpkin and others. Every source has its own properties regarding the absorption time and amino acid profile. They are mostly used to meet the daily protein requirement so as to gain muscle mass and to improve overall body composition. Following mentioned are few easily available proteins supplements:

Whey Protein: Milk protein is made up of 80 % casein and 20% whey protein. When milk is curdled to separate the solid and liquid portion, whey is made by processing the liquid by-product. It is fast absorbing protein and contain a high portion of branched chain amino acids specifically leucine. This plays a major role in promoting muscle growth and recovery after resistance and endurance exercise. There are 3 types of forms available in market:

  1. Concentrate: It contain 60 to 80 percent protein along with presence of fat and carbohydrates. It also contains some amount of lactose and cholesterol, hence, specifically lactose intolerant people need to keep a check on consumption.
  2. Isolate: An additional filtering process helps in removing the carbohydrate and fat content that helps in achieving 90 to 95 % protein content. It contains negligible lactose and hence, can be consumed by lactose intolerant people.
  3. Hydrolysate: A step of breaking the bond between amino acids is added to achieve the faster rate of absorption. The protein content remains the same around 90 to 95%, however, hydrolysate form is quickly absorbed in the body.

Casein Protein: Casein is obtained from solid by-product of milk curdling. It has a specific property of forming micelles structure on consumption which slows down the digestion and absorption of it. Casein protein is generally referred as night protein because it is preferred to consume it before sleeping as it takes approximately 6 to 8 hours for complete absorption. This helps in prevention of muscle breakdown by providing the gradual release of amino acids.

Egg protein: Egg is considered to be the highest quality protein source that improves the appetite control and keeps you full for longer. However, protein supplement is majorly made from white portion and not whole egg, therefore, it is generally observed to be less satisfying on consumption. However, the protein albumin is easy to digest and absorb providing you protein with highest quality.

Soy Protein: This protein is obtained from soybean by removing the sugar and dietary fibre that contain very little fat and no cholesterol. It contains all the essential amino acid that helps in muscle recovery and improving overall health. However, it also contains phytates that are suppose to reduce the mineral absorption. Soy protein also have bad repo because of the presence of phytoestrogens and isoflavones which is said to have a side effect on hormonal profile and thyroid function.

Plant based Protein: Protein obtained from pea, hemp, brown rice, flaxseeds and other comes under this category. These plant-based proteins generally have high fibre content that slows down the digestion and absorption as compared to another source. Different sources have different aspects, for example, rice protein contain all the essential amino acids but is too low in lysine content to be a complete protein. Similarly, hemp protein is high in omega 3 content and have good digestibility but lack lysine and leucine.

Many brands use either of this protein or mix more than one to adjust the price, digestibility and amino acid profile of the packed product. The price of the any box thus, depends on the protein component used along with other ingredients. To improve the composition of the packed product many companies add different ingredients along with protein including glutamine, creatine, taurine, digestive enzymes, vitamins, minerals and others. Therefore, always check the ingredients and nutritional label of the box to understand the quantity and quality of protein been provided.