Protein Powder 

First of all I’ll say this, protein is the most basic and by far the most important supplement you can use, given the choice to only have one supplement you would want to use a protein supplement of some sort.

No matter if you’re looking to add weight or put on muscle protein should be your first choice.

But why Is protein So important?

When you break down your diet into the nutrients you consume on a daily basis you will be able to break this into 3 basics Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats

All three of these are used in your body but ONLY Protein is used during muscle growth and repair. Carbohydrates are your bodies fuel so even though you need them to ensure you have the energy to exercise they wont help build muscle, and although a certain amount of fat in your diet is needed it still won’t help your body repair your muscles.


What Foods can I eat for protein?

Protein is available through all whole food diets regardless of if you eat meat or not, for those who do eat meat then your best sources are red meat and fish and for vegetarians good sources are eggs, nuts and legumes.

But one thing to note that although high in protein these foods also contain mixes of carbohydrates and fats so you need to make sure you know eactly how much of each nutrient is in your food to avoid taking on too much fat and carbs in search of a high protein diet.

Almonds for example have roughly double the fat content per gram of protein and although these fats are mostly essential fatty acids (EFA’s) you still need to watch your intake.

It is because of this need to balance your diet that many people turn to protein powders as a way to increase their protein intake while maintain the correct level of fats and carbohydrates. Protein powder is actually a real food, whey, casein and milk based protein powders contain the best parts of milk with the carbohydrates and fats removed. This allows for a high protein intake while retaining a low level of carbohydrate and fat consumption.

And not only are protein powders an easy and convenient way to consume protein without the need to cook a meal it can also work out cheaper than some high protein food equivalents.

1 Scoop of Protein powder = roughly 50p and contains 24-30g of Protein depending on the powder.


Casein, Whey and Soy what’s the difference?

Protein powders usually contain whey protein, micellar casein, soy protein, egg protein or various blends of the above.

Protein powder is best used:

- immediately post workout (2 scoops or 60g's for men, and 1 scoop or 30g's for women)
- first thing upon waking (guidelines as above)
- at other times of the day when a protein rich meal would be time consuming or inconvenient

A high intake of protein will help provide your body with the nutrients and calories it needs to grow and repair muscle tissue.

Types of Protein -

- Whey Protein - the most commonly used type of protein in protein powders. It is absorbed by the body very quickly and easily and is ideal for post-workout.
-  Casein Protein - the richest in glutamine, an amino acid that aids in recovery, and the slowest to digest, making it ideal for pre-bed (in order to avoid overnight muscle catabolism).
- Soy Protein - contains all essential amino acids, and a great alternative vegetarians or vegans.
- Egg Protein - a lactose and dairy-free protein powder that has a medium speed digestion rate, and offers high levels of the essential amino acid lysine.