Getting enough protein in your diet is essential for building muscle. If we we don’t eat enough protein after a weight lifting session, we will undo our hard workout and essentially yield minimal results. For this reason, protein powder, specifically whey, has become the #1 supplement for bodybuilders and is considered the best protein powder for lean muscle.
Best Post Workout Choice
Whey protein powder is the fastest acting of any protein source. It’s digested and assimilated into our blood stream quickly reaching our muscles for building and repair rapidly. There is no other protein powder or protein food source that translates as quickly into muscle.
Whey protein also ranks above all other protein sources on the BV scale. BV means biological value. The BV scale rates proteins according to how efficiently they are digested and used in the body for making new tissue, such as muscle tissue (Click HERE to learn more about BV). There are three main types of whey protein powder: whey protein isolate, hydrolyzed whey and whey protein concentrate.
Whey Protein Concentrate
Whey protein is derived from milk along with another kind of milk protein called casein. Whey is the leftover liquid created when we turn milk into cheese. The protein within that liquid is then extracted and processed to deliver whey protein powder.
Whey protein concentrate generally consists of 80% pure protein. The remainder is milk fat and milk sugar (lactose). This high protein content is excellent for building muscles, but the small amount of fat and milk sugar is not easily digested by a small percentage of people. Some may experience bloating and gas. If you are not one of those, then whey concentrate is a good option for you.
Whey Protein Isolate
Whey protein isolate is anywhere from 90 to 100% pure protein. This is a higher quality product than whey protein concentrate, it is considered the best whey protein powder for building muscle, and less likely to result in bloating and gas. Of course, for this level of purity you are paying more for whey isolate than you would for whey concentrate. Those with lactose intolerance often do ok with a 100% pure protein isolate.
While whey protein concentrate products are low-fat and low-sugar, whey protein isolate is ultra low in fat and sugar. 100% pure whey isolates are completely fat and sugar-free. This is why some bodybuilders believe that whey isolate powder is the best protein powder for building muscle.
Hydrolyzed Whey
Hydrolyzed whey is the cream of the crop. It is created by taking whey protein isolate through an extra filtering process to create peptides. These peptides are whey proteins that have been broken down into smaller components so they are even easier to digest. This means that hydrolyzed whey reaches muscles even faster than isolates! In fact, hydrolyzed whey is the highest quality protein powder that you can buy, delivering a top notch anabolic effect and cutting edge results.
One of the best rated hydrolzed whey protein powders is HydroBolic FX by Muscle FX.
