By Bianca Grover

Choosing the right source of protein for your meals and your post-workout shake can be a challenge. There are many options out there and picking the right type of protein for your bodies needs is crucial. You have to balance a few factors in your decision making process, such as cost, taste, convenience, dietary restrictions, protein quality and added health benefits.

Whatever source of protein you choose to take in, you have to make sure you provide your body with all the essential amino acids. Complete proteins such as eggs, milk, meat and soy contain all the amino acids. Incomplete protein sources such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains do not contain all the essential amino acids, therefore supplementation might be needed.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that different proteins are better than others at different times. For example, some proteins are digested faster than others. Whey is one of those proteins. When digested, it releases quick bursts of amino acids straight into the bloodstream. Casein takes a longer time to be digested, thus the release of amino acids is a prolonged one.

Last but not least, a high protein diet is not suited for everyone. Individuals who suffer from kidney failure, osteoporosis, liver disease or diabetes should always talk to their physician before starting a high-protein diet.

Types of Protein And Their Highlights

Whey and casein are the two major types of milk proteins. The three varieties of whey include protein powder, protein concentrate and protein isolate. All three contain high levels of essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Whey protein powder is between 11% to 15% protein, whey concentrate is between 25% and 89% protein and whey isolate is more than 90% protein. It is important to mention that the whey isolate is also lactose free.

As mentioned before, whey is quickly digested and has a great ability to stimulate muscle protein synthesis due to its high concentrations of the amino acid leucine, known for its role in hypertrophy.

Casein, just like whey, is a type of milk protein and it gives milk its white color. Digesting casein takes longer and the amino acids are released over the span of a few hours, which can be helpful during resistance training. A combination of both whey and casein yields the greatest improvement in muscular strength after a resistance exercise workout.

The third type of protein source is soy. Soy is the most widely used vegetable protein and one of the few vegetable proteins that contains all the essential amino acids. Soy proteins can be consumed in three forms: flour with a 50% protein content, concentrates with a 70% protein content and isolates with a 90% protein content. Soy foods are known to be heart healthy due to a high content of fiber, vitamins, minerals and low levels of saturated fat.

Keep in mind that choosing a good source of protein should be an individual decision. What works well for your friend’s goals might not work for yours. If you have any questions regarding the proteins listed above, or would like to learn about what protein(s) is best for your individual workout routine, feel free to contact me.