Protein. So many options. Why that one??

PROTEIN.

There are so many options for protein supplementation these days, and I'm always curious as to why people choose what they do.

For example, there are some "great tasting" proteins out there, but how many people actually read the labels and see how much sugar, sodium etc are in there? What kind of protein is actually in there? How much glutamine, BCAAs and essential enzymes do they contain?

In doing demos and being around the industry in general, I find that most of the general public gravitate toward things they see in magazines or a name that they recognize. Or perhaps they choose a company that just happens to have a "hot booth girl" lol

When a protein "works" for them or "doesn't work", they usually base their "protein success" on trial and error...not taking into account their training, cardio, diet and other factors during this time. So when I hear, "that protein made me fat and I like this one (which is usually LOADED with sugar btw)" or "I don't want to be a big bodybuilder, so I use "this" protein", that's kind of hard for me to swallow.

With people being so picky about where they spend their money, why spend your hard earned dollars on something without researching it first? I think for the most part, everybody has an opinion about fitness and supplements and some people give their 2 cents without really knowing the right answer and unfortunately guide people in the wrong direction.

So, I want to hear what you all have to say

What protein do you take and why?

If you're a trainer, what different proteins do you suggest to your clients?

If you're taking a protein supplement, how confident are you (%) that what you are taking is a "quality" product and the right one for you?

Looking forward to your answers!

OH and thank you to Alex on this one,

check out this link

http://www.proteinreport.com/

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Permalink Reply by Jason C Powell on August 22, 2009 at 9:02am

As Alex mentioned, please read the Protein Report. Yes, it is published by ON, but it is NOT about using ON products...It is an educational tool explaining the different varieties of protein out there and what the pros and cons are for them.
It is a quick read...so check it out!

I also agree with Alex's reply, they are not the same...you have to look at the ingredients and the percentages to see what's best suits you.

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Permalink Reply by RBY on August 20, 2009 at 11:53pm

Good topic!! Yeah Nick, I too hear of people saying that eating fish tends to make the muscles look 'softer' - but not firmer. Eating chicken and beef will help.

In terms of protein, I only know that Glutamine is important to take throughout the day, in particular pre, during and post-workout!

BCAAs and complete amino profile capsules/powder are just as important.

I am not sure what other forms of protein will help. is it better to have your protein mainly from food source or from supplements? How will each source affect the way the muscles are being built anyway?

For Whey, I am using ON Whey Dbl Choc :) Tastes good even with my blended chicken breasts!! So no complaints about it! hahaha.

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Permalink Reply by Washington Candido on August 21, 2009 at 8:52am

Because my trainer told me to... LOL Jason said to use a certain brand, so it must be good right??? LOL

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Permalink Reply by Kai on August 21, 2009 at 9:01am

OMG lol Yes, I would have to agree.

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Permalink Reply by Jason C Powell on August 22, 2009 at 8:58am

HA! Only the best for the best, right?!?! =)

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Permalink Reply by Craig Crawford on August 21, 2009 at 9:11am

I like Met-Rx. I am taking it right now it is not too bad and I am getting a good price on it.
ON is my favorite but they have increased their prices so I switched.
LG Science has a soy protein that works well but it taste very different from regular whey.
When I go into contest prep I prefer a Isolate Protein.
I try not to give my clients too many supplements and I mostly try to help them clean up their eating habits and make better choices.
I tried the vitamin shoppe brand and I did not like it the sugar is different then ON and Met-rx sorry Nick.
And the food thing it depends on the person if you are a fish,chicken,beef person to get you to your leanest.

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Permalink Reply by Craig Crawford on August 21, 2009 at 3:44pm

You have to find your formula.
Chicken is not my friend when I am dieting ha, ha.
Next time I will try more turkey, cause the the fish gets old quickly.
You know Dexter Jackson did fish only in his diet in the past, so it was worth a try and I liked the results.

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Permalink Reply by Alex on August 21, 2009 at 9:49am

I would like to say that its not that simple in figuring out what protien is better. You just can't look at the carbs, sugar, and aminos on the supplement facts. You have to look at the ingredient list to see what kind of protein is used and you also have to take into consideration the pureity percentage of the protein by looking at the serving size and the amount of protein per serving.
Vitamin Shoppe - Chocolate Whey Tech has 17g of protein - first ingredient is Concentrate
ON (Optimum Nutrition) - Chocolate Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein has 24g of protein - first ingredient is Isolate

You should definitely check out this site - http://www.proteinreport.com/

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Permalink Reply by Kai on August 21, 2009 at 9:51am

That's what I'm talkin about, Alex! Thanks for the post!!

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Permalink Reply by Matt Reile on January 1, 2010 at 3:22pm

The protein report site is an awesome site. What an excellent resource.

Thanks Kai.

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Permalink Reply by Spencer Nadolsky on December 14, 2009 at 8:06pm

I actually have found a few concentrates that seem to work better with me and my patients than isolates in regards to fat loss/muscle gain/digestion. I always thought isolates were supreme until I started experimenting. It is possible that I was getting the best concentrate and the worst isolate.