How to choose the best protein shakes
Protein powder was once a niche product, reserved for the larders of hardcore weight lifters and possibly pro sportsmen. Not any more. Today the benefits of protein are widely acknowledged—there's even Weetabix Protein—and the sports supplement industry in Britain is now worth £650 million a year.
Protein is a 'macronutrient', meaning the body requires large amounts of it as part of a balanced diet. Once absorbed into the body through digestion, protein is broken down into various amino acids which are then built into new proteins to help make red blood cells and building muscles, as well as other functions of the body. For a gym goer, it's crucial after exercise, helping your muscles to recover and grow.
With the sports supplement market ballooning like a body-builder's bicep, today's protein-hungry consumers are faced with an overwhelming amount of choice. We spoke to a nutritionist, a personal trainer, a former Olympic bobsledder and an ex-championship wrestler, to find out what to look for when buying protein supplements.
Whey protein shakes
The most common types of protein shakes are made from whey, a byproduct of cheese production.
"Whey-based proteins can be broken down into three main subcategories", explains Chris Hall, Founder and Executive Trainer at Hall Personal Training. "Whey protein concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate."
Hall ran us through the pros and cons of each category.
Concentrate
Pros: "Concentrate is the cheapest option, it tends to mix the best in water and it tastes the best".
Cons: "It sits at around 80pc protein. You’ve got carbohydrates in there – about 5 grams of carbohydrate per serving and 3 grams of fat. It's also got lactose in it."
Whey protein concentrate supplements are widely available from retailers such as Protein World and Bulk Powders. You'll also find them on the high street, in one of the many supplement shops that have sprung up over the past few years.
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Isolate
Pros: "It has been filtered through a different process to concentrate, and has had the fat and the carbs removed. The protein content is way up to about 90pc protein. It contains little fat and very little carbohydrate. You’ve also got almost zero amount of lactose. It’s about 99pc lactose free, so for people who have a lactose problem, isolate is one they can normally tolerate. Lastly, it’s okay as a taste."
Cons: "It doesn't mix very well."
Popular retailers for isolate formulas include Bulk Powders and MyProtein. "For quality, price and taste I’d go with MyProtein", says Keith McNiven, owner of Right Path Fitness and a former championship wrestler. "It’s really good value, really good ingredients and the taste is not bad."
Hydrolysate
Pros: "It’s been filtered through again – it’s pretty much 95pc protein. Hydrolysate is really fast absorbing so if you have a thorough session or you’re doing two sessions in a day, it can be absorbed really quickly into the muscles. It also contains digestive enzymes naturally within it which helps to break it down slightly better and that’s why it is slightly faster absorbing."
Cons: "It's the most expensive, it doesn’t taste very nice, and it doesn’t mix well."
Popular Hydrolised formulas are available from MyProtein and Solgar.
If you can't decide which is for you, there are proteins on the market that blend different combinations of whey formulas, such as Genetic Engineered Supplements' mix of isolate and concentrate.
Plant-based proteins
There are advantages to choosing vegan protein supplements, even if you're not vegan.
"The key is to have cofactors and the superfoods in there", says Rick Hay, author and Nutritional Director at Healthista. "If your antioxidant intake is up, your immune system’s going to be up, so you can train harder and longer."
"Plant-based proteins are also less antagonistic to the gut," he says, and points to vegan bodybuilders or boxer David Haye as an example of an athlete who uses plant-based proteins to help build muscle. This study published in February found that plant-based proteins can build muscle just as well as other forms of protein.
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When choosing a plant-based protein, select a blend such as formulas available from MyProtein, The Protein Works or VivoLife as these will provide a fuller amino acid profile than proteins based on single plant-based proteins. You can add them to healthy smoothies containing fruits, vegetables, seeds and spices for an energy boost.
How to work out your daily protein target
"When considering a protein supplement, consider what your goal is first", says Tom Oliver, a nutritionist and founder of Tom Oliver Nutrition. "Is it to lose fat and tone up, or for performance or mass building?"
Lose fat and tone up
"If you're trying to lose weight you can replace one or two meals during the day with a healthy protein smoothie but you would have to snack healthily", suggests Hay. Diet proteins available from Tom Oliver Nutrition or The Protein Works will do for this, or opt for one of the plant-based blends mentioned earlier.
McNiven's advice is to keep it simple. "Have a balanced diet and supplement with standard whey protein rather than anything full of carbohydrates", he suggests. "Have a protein shake after the workout." Opt for Isolate or Hydrolysate, and avoid blends with additional carbs.
Lastly, stick to shakes or smoothies over other forms of supplement. "Protein bars will tend to contain added sugars, which is likely to provide too much energy if your aim is weight loss or maintenance", says Joanne Hart, Nuffield Health nutritional therapist.
Mass Building
There's no need to drink more than around two protein shakes a day when you are trying to build muscle. Hay suggests having a shake after the gym and at one other time during the day such as just before bed.
Allyn Condon, a Double Olympian and General Manager of The Gym Bristol Longwell Green, concurs. "From when I was competing as an athlete in Bobsleigh and even now in the gym, I’ve almost always had two shakes a day. One shake straight after training, and one shake before bed." His choice is PAS MGF-1, not least because he likes the taste. He has a casein-based protein before bed because it takes up to six hours to digest - it's essentially a liquid equivalent of slow-digesting cottage cheese.
There has only been one point in Condon's career when he introduced an extra shake a day.
"When I went into bobsleigh, my weight was maybe 78 kilos and based on the dynamics of the team I needed to push my weight up maybe about 10 kilos, so I had to increase my protein slightly. I would normally take between 25g protein in a shake. I pushed that up to maybe 35-40g protein. I introduced an additional meal replacement which would have been higher in carbs as well, just to try and push the weight up."
Such a high intake is beyond the bounds of what most people require, but meal replacement shakes such as MyProtein's Macro Meal can be a good choice; they contain a mixture of proteins, carbs and healthy fats, and are suitable for days when you might be unable to find a protein-rich meal.
As a mass-building base protein for a shake, MyoFusion Advanced Protein contains a mixture of concentrate, isolate, hydrolysate and casein, and tastes nice too.
Boost your energy
"A protein shake by itself will feed and maintain your muscles but isn't going to give you energy", says McNiven. "You’ll have to put something with it, such as a pre-workout supplement or a blend. Ultimate Nutrition gives a mixture of everything - you've got to be careful because there's a lot of caffeine in there. Alternatively you could have a whey protein shake, a couple of bananas and a coffee."
When in a rush, McNiven sticks oats, protein, almond butter, stevia and coconut milk in a blender and has that for breakfast.
Hay recommends sticking to smoothies, and using a protein powder such as SunWarrior Classic Plus that contains the superfoods quinoa and amaranth, which can provide a natural energy boost.
The best protein supplements
A classic whey protein concentrate from Protein World.
MyProtein's whey isolate is 90% protein content.
Bulk Powders' whey isolate is low in lactose and fats.
MyProtein's Hydrolised whey protein absorbs into muscles quickly because it's partially pre-digested by enzymes.
Genetic Supplements' Bio Whey combines concentrate and isolate and is low in fat, lactose & carbohydrates.
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MyProtein's Vegan Blend combines Pea Protein Isolate, Brown Rice Protein and Hemp Protein.
Vivo Life's Perform plant protein provides a full amino acid profile.
Protein Works vegan protein combines five plant proteins.
Tom Oliver Nutrition's Diet Protein is high protein, low carbohydrate and low fat.
MGF-1 contains leucine.
Caseine is a slow release protein suitable which can be digested overnight.
MyProtein's Macro Meal replaces an entire meal by offering a balance of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats.
MyoFusion Advanced Protein contains a mix of concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate.
SunWarrior Classic Plus contains superfoods.
