The Best Whey Powders

I have USN Pure Protein GF-1 (formerly called IGF-1 which could be misleading.)
I use it to top up my diet if I suspect I haven't had enough protein that day. Remember, it's just food, not magic muscle building powder. All those muscle-bound hunks selling protein powder etc in the infomercials are probably using something more, ahem, potent as well.

And likely NOT using the product they're selling!

Dirk-Lerxst-Pratt said:

Im not trying to add mass, just get a little leaner and stronger with better endurance. I admire you guys that pack on the muscle. That will never be me.

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I wouldn't really say that I'm putting on much mass, I'm 6'1" and weigh about 170 lbs. I use about three scoops a day. Not just protein will add mass, you have to go hard and eat right, lean protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs.

MickToley said:

I wouldn't really say that I'm putting on much mass, I'm 6'1" and weigh about 170 lbs. I use about three scoops a day. Not just protein will add mass, you have to go hard and eat right, lean protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs.

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Got ya. Not sure why your eating all that protein then. What are your fitness goals?

Dirk-Lerxst-Pratt said:

Got ya. Not sure why your eating all that protein then. What are your fitness goals?

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Three scoops isn't that much, only 75 grams of protein. I take in anywhere from 150-175 grams daily. You need protein for muscle recovery. My goals do involve gaining muscle, but not to be bulk up all that much.

Cool. Thanks for explaining. I guess I feel as though I'm getting enough dietary wise that I only use the whey powder as a recovery drink.

There are so many theories on when to use protein powder. Before exercise. After. Every 3 hours (well that one's protein of any sort.)

I just ignore the theories. Muscle recovery takes days, so as long as I get good protein every day I figure my body will work it out. This may not be optimal, but I don't believe optimal is that much better than just eating healthily as you please. I bet we're talking a few percentage points. That's if they ever come out with a definitive answer to what truly is optimal.

Dirk-Lerxst-Pratt said:

Cool. Thanks for explaining. I guess I feel as though I'm getting enough dietary wise that I only use the whey powder as a recovery drink.

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If you think you're getting enough protein to support muscle rebuild in recovery, I'd recommend BCAA mixes that include Glutamine and Leucine which support protein synthesis which is the most important part of recovery. The hydrobuilder I recommended earlier is nice because it's got the BCAA's along with whey isolate for almost immediate protein absorption, but it also includes creatine which sounds like you don't need. A good BCAA mix is Xtend

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/sv/xtend.html

which can be taken during or after training (it's got electrolytes so it can replace gatorade if you'd like). I used to buy a stack off bodybuilding.com that had a 5 lb tub of MyoFusion and Xtend. After a week of training and using the stack, I was barely sore the next day after lifting. Great recovery benefits!

Thanks, Laxin. I'll keep that in mind on my next round of supplement buying.

I use whey protein isolate on waking up and post workout, and Dymatize Elite XT (whey, casein, egg, and even a little soy) in the afternoon and before bedtime. If I had a lot of animal protein for lunch, I use pea/brown rice protein for my afternoon shake. 6'1 217 and I lift heavy for strength and size. The extra protein has really helped since my crazy schedule means I eat when I get a chance to. A protein shake and a banana give me another two hours before I need a meal.

Here's my thoughts on the issue...

First of all, protein *is* just food, no more no less, a reasonably cheap, portable and quick source of protein. I just think of it (macronutrient wise) like a liquid chicken breast or can of tuna. With that being said, what kind of whey to use and when depends on the role you're trying to make it play. The only time, in my opinion, that you need a rapid digesting whey (pure isolate, for example) is either pre or post workout. I mix a scoop with a cup of steel cut oats before I lift, and the whole food slows the absorption rate, so I use whatever's cheap, also, because I'm mixing it with carbs, I don't have to worry about it being virtually sugar free. Post workout, I use a whey isolate/concentrate/peptide/egg protein/casein blend because the different proteins digest at different rates. This is also optimal if you drink whey throughout the day. I get most of my protein from whole foods nowadays and use maybe 75g of whey protein (90 total grams) per day, but I've used 3 times that in the past.

Brand wise, True Nutrition is the absolute best if you can afford it. Most options, whatever blend you want, whatever flavor you want. After that, Nitrean from At Large Nutrition is an excellent blend, and Intek Evolution (what I am currently using) isn't far behind. The only reason i choose Intek over Nitrean is that I can get it at a brick and mortar store that offers a 10% law enforcement discount, otherwise they are about a wash IMHO. If you want to slow down the absorption rate and don't want to pay 50-75 dollars for 5lbs, just get something cheap and mix it with milk (although the 55 bucks I pay for my premium Intek product, after discount, is actually cheaper than the "middle of the road" brands at a Vitamin Shoppe or GNC!) Someone above mentioned chocolate milk as a superior post workout drink; this has been validated by scientific study.

The bottom line is that supplements are a multibillion dollar industry, and the vast majority of them are either completely useless or at a minimum quite overpriced. If your diet (most important, whether you are training for weight loss, weight gain, or performance!) and training are 100% dialed in, supplements can give you a very small edge. If your diet and/or training are not absolutely on point, spend your money on better food. The only supplements I still use are creatine (cheap, generic bulk powder) BCAAs during workout, especially semi-fasted cardio, beta-alanine (same) glucosamine/MSM, fish oil, microlactin, and a twice a week multivitamin. All cheap, simple, and proven to be effective. All those preworkout stimulants, "testosterone boosters" than only really boost your libido, nitric oxide enhancers, etc... are a waste of time. Now, if you're talking real anabolic steroids, that's a whole different ballgame, but that's if you want to go down that road (I wouldn't recommend it to most people, including myself, unless you have a real test deficiency and are considering HRT).

Sorry for the long winded response, gents, I could talk about this topic for hours.

rajagra said:

There are so many theories on when to use protein powder. Before exercise. After. Every 3 hours (well that one's protein of any sort.)

I just ignore the theories. Muscle recovery takes days, so as long as I get good protein every day I figure my body will work it out. This may not be optimal, but I don't believe optimal is that much better than just eating healthily as you please. I bet we're talking a few percentage points. That's if they ever come out with a definitive answer to what truly is optimal.

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Amen. You hit the nail on the head here; with the exception of postworkout, bedtime and preworkout for fasted cardio, just eat a balanced diet of quality food and train balls to the wall with whatever program you prefer for your specific goals.