Gym Junkiez Supplement Review – Top 5 Protein Powders
Protein powders are a quick way to help ensure that your body is nourished and satisfied. People use them for a variety of reasons — to lose weight, to improve sports performance and build muscle mass, and for overall wellness.
How do you know which protein powder is best to meet your personal health goals? It’s important to know the difference between available protein powders as well as how they stack up against whole food protein sources.
Whole foods vs. protein powder
You can meet your body’s daily protein requirements whether you drink shakes or eat only whole foods. However, they don’t offer equal nutritional value.
What you may find surprising is that shakes generally contain fewer nutrients than whole foods. For that reason, shakes may help you lose weight, but whole foods have more vitamins and minerals the body needs to function properly.
Protein types and uses
Whey protein is one of the most commonly used proteins and is best for day-to-day use. It contains all of the essential amino acids and is easily digested. It helps boost energy and can reduce stress levels. Whey isolates and concentrates are best to use after a workout.
Soy protein is another common choice. It helps reduce high cholesterol and can ease symptoms of menopause for some women. It can also help with osteoporosis by helping build bone mass.
Other types of protein include:
- Egg protein, released more slowly than whey, can be taken throughout the day.
- Milk proteins help support immune function and enhance muscle growth.
- Rice protein, which is 100 percent plant-based, is a good choice for vegetarians or for people who don’t consume dairy products. It’s also gluten-free.
- Pea protein is highly digestible, hypo-allergenic and economical.
- Hemp protein is also 100 percent plant-based. It’s a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Matching a powder to your needs
With so many choices, how do you decide which protein powder is best for you? Here are some general guidelines, based on the outcomes you’re looking for:
- Build muscles — For muscle growth, choose a protein powder with a high biological value (a value that measures how well the body can absorb and utilize a protein). Whey protein and whey isolates are your best options.
- Lose weight — To lose weight, choose shakes with no added sugars or dextrins/maltodextrins (sweeteners made from starch). Don’t choose those with added branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), as they help promote muscle growth and weight gain.
- Stay vegetarian or vegan — If you are vegetarian or vegan, don’t choose milk-based protein shakes (e.g., whey, milk proteins); instead use 100 percent plant proteins.
- Go low-sugar with diabetes — Patients who have diabetes should choose protein shakes without added sugar (don’t choose protein powders with sugar listed as one of the first three ingredients). It’s also best to look for a shake that’s low in carbohydrates (less than 5 grams per serving).
- Limit protein for kidney disease — People with kidney disease can’t tolerate a lot of protein at one time. Stick with powders that have a lower-range protein content (10-15 grams per serving).
- Avoid gastrointestinal problems — Patients with irritable bowel syndrome or lactose intolerance should choose powders that don’t contain lactose sugars, artificial sweeteners or dextrins/maltodextrins. If you have a gluten allergy or sensitivity, don’t choose powders that contain gluten.
- Stick to your budget — To save money, buy tubs of protein powder instead of ready-to-drink protein shakes which are more expensive because they’re convenient.
Top 5 Highest Quality Protein Powders
I will be the first to admit that the supplement companies that I have used and promoted for years are not the best on the market. I can only image what type of progress I could have made in the gainz department had I been aware of this information. Oh well…hopefully this information will help you guys not miss any opportunities to make some quality progress towards your physique and health goals. The list below is comprised of protein powders with the highest concentration of protein, as well as economically priced. The information used to determine this list come from the lab results completed by labdoor.com. If you need a supplement to meet your protein needs, make sure you choose one of these.
MTS Whey Protein
Concentration of Bound Protein – 92%
Description – MTS Nutrition Machine Whey is the perfect whey protein supplement. While we want the in-tact biologically active fractions found in whey protein concentrate, we also want whey protein isolate to keep the lactose extremely low, and the fat and carbohydrate content nearly non-existant. Machine Whey is perfect for use around training and is also a great protein source for your meals. Imagine replacing that bland chicken breast with a delicious milkshake – this is the protein for you!
Buy at Amazon Sports Nutrition
Myprotein Iso:Pro 97
Concentration of Bound Protein – 91.4%
Impact Whey Isolate is an isolated form of undenatured whey protein. This means it is manufactured using an ultrafiltration process to provide a protein content of over 90% per serving while retaining most of the protein’s bioactivity. Due to this complex and careful process, each serving of Impact Whey Isolate contains minimal amounts of fats and carbohydrates, maximizing the amount of protein you get for your money. Ingredients: Whey Protein Isolate, Cocoa Powder, Artificial Flavoring, Sucralose, Soy Lecithin. ALLERGENS: Contains Milk & Soy (Lecithin) Ingredients.
Buy at Amazon Sports Nutrition
Muscle Feast Grass Fed Whey Isolate
Concentration of Bound Protein – 91.3%
- 24-25.5 grams (depends on flavor) of high-quality protein per 28 gram serving – 90% Protein
- Sourced from cows that are certified to be grass fed
- No artificial hormones or antibiotics (rBGH & rBST free)
- Non-GMO
- Gluten & lactose-free
- Undenatured, cold microfiltered, & ultrafiltration processed
- 4 grams of naturally occurring BCAAs per serving
- No additives or artificial ingredients
Buy at Amazon Sports Nutrition
Integrated Supplements Whey Isolate Protein
Concentration of Bound Protein – 89.7%
Unlike other whey proteins, integrated supplements 100% natural CFM whey protein isolate is expertly formulated using only the highest quality ceramic filtered whey protein isolate. Absolutely no inferior whey concentrates, ion exchange isolates, or resin-filtered isolates are used. Make no mistake about it. All whey proteins are not created equal. We truly believe that you’ll find integrated supplements 100% natural CFM whey protein isolate to be the absolute best-tasting protein supplement you’ve ever tried. We spared no expense to formulate our flavors with the highest quality Dutch cocoa, real strawberry pieces, and finest natural vanilla money can buy. One taste of integrated supplements 100% natural CFM whey protein isolate and you’ll know you’re experiencing the best protein supplement ever created. The integrated supplements commitment to quality ensures that we produce our products without the use of FD&C colors, aspartame, sucralose, or acesulfame potassium. In fact, you can rest assured that all of our products are all natural and we use absolutely no artificial flavors or sweeteners in any of our formulations.
Buy at Amazon Sports Nutrition
Dymatize ISO-100
Concentration of Bound Protein – 83.8%
ISO100 is simply muscle-building fuel. Known worldwide for quality, taste, and purity, ISO100 is produced to our highest quality standards. ISO100 is formulated using a cross-flow micro-filtration, multi-step purification process that preserves important muscle-building protein fractions while removing excess carbohydrates, fat, lactose and cholesterol. ISO100 is made with pre-hydrolyzed protein sources to ensure fast digestion and absorption
Buy at Amazon Sports Nutrition
As you can see there are quite a few popular brands that are missing from this list. The important thing to remember about protein supplements is that when you are trying to meet a macro goal. you want to be as spot on as you possibly can. Whole food will always be the best choice but when time constraints permit you from getting in a meal or after you workout you need to get that protein in… you have to make smart decisions about products you use. If you think i missed a brand or have questions, feel free to leave in the comments section. Eat smart!!!
