protein powder absorption...I guess?

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CoderGal
CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Protein powder, I've never bought any, have little knowledge about it aside from the few pages on Google that I looked at. I've been thinking about adding it to my diet but have some questions. I'd appreciate it if anyone is able to answer any of these questions or point me in the right direction, thanks!

0. Can anyone suggest any readings or things to Google? Things to look for/avoid?

1. Ever buy a container of protein and regret it? Why?

2. I've heard people complain about things not 'blending' well or get to frothy. Is frothy bad? What types of protein blend into other foods (I hear whey isolate is best?)?

3. I know there's whey, casein, egg, hemp, and soy (can someone tell me the benefits/faults?). And that there's different 'types' of whey (isolate, cold something or other...). But no mention on different 'types' for the others. I've also heard people talking about certain types of whey absorbing into the body better then others. Which type(s) are better? Why? When I look at a ingredient list, what should I look for/avoid?

4. Flavors...Couldn't I just buy plain and add cocoa powder? Is this a bad idea? I don't plan on drinking it straight. Is there any flavored ones that do not add a ton of sugar? My sugars tend to run high already. I don't need it to taste fantastic but I also don't want to gag.

5. How do I know if a protein is 'complete'?

6. And what is this isolate, concentrate, cold-filtration, Cross Flow Micro filtration (CFM®) ultra filtration (UF), micro filtration (MF), reverse osmosis (RO), dynamic membrane filtration (DMF), ion exchange chromatography, (IEC), electro-ultrafiltration (EU), radial flow chromatography (RFC) and nano filtration (NF) stuff about?

Thanks guys!
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Replies

  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    Bumping. I want answers, too.
  • lelaspeaks
    lelaspeaks Posts: 163 Member
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    Bump - a bunch of people told me to drink shakes... one recommended Ultimate Muscle Protein in chocolate. 20 grams of protein, 4 grams of carbs. Here is a link with more information: http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/bev/ult.html

    If I don't hear a better recommendation, I may go with this one.
  • Quickster34
    Quickster34 Posts: 209 Member
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    bodybuilding.com has articles that can answer all your questions and way more in great depth and by people that have degrees in sports science, id recomend starting there.

    a quick advice though, read the label and understand whats is in it, a lot of brands carry unecesary stuff in it, the categories to compare are the protein per cal, carbs, sugar, and fat mainly.

    you are correct there are different types and then there are blends that contain multiple types of protein

    whey is the fastest acting
    casein is the slowest
    there are blended proteins like optimum hydrobuilder or pro complex that also contain BCAAs and creatine etc.. geared for specific goals

    if you are looking for a solid whey protein i would go with optimum nutrition 100% gold standard whey, or their hydro whey it comes in excellent flavors has great stats label wise and is consistently voted the best in the industry . good luck!
  • s00sh
    s00sh Posts: 91
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    i love Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey in the Double Rich Chocolate flavor. it mixes well and tastes great with regular milk, soy, almond and coconut (and i can even drink it just with water).

    per scoop:

    24g protein
    120 calories
    3g carbs
    1g sugar
  • lelaspeaks
    lelaspeaks Posts: 163 Member
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    i love Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey in the Double Rich Chocolate flavor. it mixes well and tastes great with regular milk, soy, almond and coconut (and i can even drink it just with water).

    per scoop:

    24g protein
    120 calories
    3g carbs
    1g sugar

    This one looks good too!
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    I'd also like to note I'd much rather get my protein from real foods, but figured it wouldn't go astray if I had some on hand for my very low protein days.

    Thanks for the replies! So I did some reading...

    Isolates: So far from what I've read Cross Flow Micro filtration whey isolates are arguably more beneficial, and has a smaller chance of destroying the protein in the process, and many people hop off the ion exchange bus.

    Whey: is water soluble, so it mixes better then most of the others, and from what I've looked at most prefer the isolates in taste.

    Concentrates: have more carbs and fat then the others but have various different benefits

    Casein: absorbs slowly were the isolates absorb quickly.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    whey is the fastest acting
    casein is the slowest

    Why would fast be good? Why would slow be good?

    Also, where can you get the "Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey"?
  • Quickster34
    Quickster34 Posts: 209 Member
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    whey is the fastest acting
    casein is the slowest

    Why would fast be good? Why would slow be good?

    Also, where can you get the "Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey"?

    bodybuilding.com is where i get mine, cheap and fast shipping tons of flavors too

    fast acting is good for post workout when your muscles need the extra protein to start recovering, also right when you wake up since your body has been deprived for a long period of time during the night,

    slow acting is good for right before bed to have an extended release during sleep and help give your muscles what they need to recover even when you are not eating
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    Thanks Quickster.

    "100% Whey Gold Standard Ingredient
    Protein blend (whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, whey peptides), cocoa, natural and artifical flavor, lecithin, salt, sucralose, acesulfame potassium."

    Anyone know if that's actually the ingredient list? Every time I looked at whey ingredients they seemed way more complicated and longer then that.

    Anyone know of any brands that don't use artificial flavoring and salt? I'm assuming if I got something not flavored there would be no sucralose in it?
  • Quickster34
    Quickster34 Posts: 209 Member
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    You asked earlier about any protein that we bought and hated.. unflavored is terrible.. my opinion yes but i dont see how anyone can actually drink that stuff. trust me the 80mg of sodium and 1g of sugar is well worth being able to enjoy what your drinking, i dont recomend the mint chocolate, or vanilla unless you plan on mixing with milk then both are great, rocky road is my favorite, don't overlook the fact that a disgusting tasting shake is tough to drink everyday haha
  • SteveHunt113
    SteveHunt113 Posts: 648 Member
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    bump - need to be able to come back to this: been looking to find a different protein.
  • AlyRoseNYC
    AlyRoseNYC Posts: 1,075 Member
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    i love Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey in the Double Rich Chocolate flavor. it mixes well and tastes great with regular milk, soy, almond and coconut (and i can even drink it just with water).

    per scoop:

    24g protein
    120 calories
    3g carbs
    1g sugar

    I totally agree! It's the BEST tasting protein powder I've ever tried. When I mix a scoop with 4 ounces of skim milk, it tastes EXACTLY like Nesquick chocolate milk. I'm not even exaggerating. I look forward to drinking this everyday!
  • AlyRoseNYC
    AlyRoseNYC Posts: 1,075 Member
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    Thanks Quickster.

    "100% Whey Gold Standard Ingredient
    Protein blend (whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate, whey peptides), cocoa, natural and artifical flavor, lecithin, salt, sucralose, acesulfame potassium."

    Anyone know if that's actually the ingredient list? Every time I looked at whey ingredients they seemed way more complicated and longer then that.

    Anyone know of any brands that don't use artificial flavoring and salt? I'm assuming if I got something not flavored there would be no sucralose in it?

    The ingredient list in ON 100% Whey is way shorter than many other protein powders I've had. I was suprised too.
  • bastokes88
    bastokes88 Posts: 15
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    Be careful with Casein...that protein has been directly linked to increased chance of liver cancer. It occurs naturally in cow's milk, but I wouldn't load up on the stuff.
  • Thisprincesswearsrunningshoes
    Thisprincesswearsrunningshoes Posts: 51
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    I have tried three types of Protein. The first one was the Jillian Michael's blend and it tasted chalky. Second one is Herbalife protein shakes. I am a runner and I have two a day and they are enriched in vitamins, the taste is good (I was not fond of the pumpkin pie spice kind tho) and I have tried the Herbalife Protein powder (I did not like it as much it tasted gritty if not fully mixed and once I added it to potato soup and it make it gummy) so that is the only exp. I have with those.
  • awal2069
    awal2069 Posts: 101 Member
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    I posted on here several times about this protein as it has many vitamins, minerals, all types of protein etc etc I could go on and on about it.
    I have tried many different brands, and this is the one that I will pay for time and time again.

    Intek Evolution Protein powder in chocolate.

    http://inteknutrition.com/PRODUCTS/PROTEIN EVOLUTION/protein.html

    Compare labels with any other and you find this has the best ingredients. Yes, price is high... but I LOVE IT
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Be careful with Casein...that protein has been directly linked to increased chance of liver cancer. It occurs naturally in cow's milk, but I wouldn't load up on the stuff.

    Care to substantiate that?
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Razique wrote FAQ about protein powders...
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/527405-protein-powders
  • thistimeismytime
    thistimeismytime Posts: 711 Member
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    i love Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey in the Double Rich Chocolate flavor. it mixes well and tastes great with regular milk, soy, almond and coconut (and i can even drink it just with water).

    per scoop:

    24g protein
    120 calories
    3g carbs
    1g sugar

    I totally agree! It's the BEST tasting protein powder I've ever tried. When I mix a scoop with 4 ounces of skim milk, it tastes EXACTLY like Nesquick chocolate milk. I'm not even exaggerating. I look forward to drinking this everyday!

    Another vote for this one--I just mix it in water with a spoon...no blender needed. Mixes smooth, tastes great! I order it from Amazon.com, and with the free shipping it's a great deal! Enjoy! :drinker:
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    Be careful with Casein...that protein has been directly linked to increased chance of liver cancer. It occurs naturally in cow's milk, but I wouldn't load up on the stuff.

    Do you have any substantial research to back up these claims?

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