At Express Chiropractic in Fort Worth, I am often asked my opinion on which protein powder is ideal to use in those delicious shakes everyone loves to make.
It’s a great question and I’ll attempt to break it down in this article so you understand the difference and can better determine which protein powder works best for your exercise and dietary needs.
Let’s take a look at them:
Soy Protein: This protein has a lot of the amino acid called arginine. It has also been shown to increase levels of growth-hormone. Because of this it is a good pre-workout protein. I recommend taking it in 30 to 40 minutes pre-workout. You can also mix it with the next protein we will cover – whey protein.
Whey Protein: This protein is quickly assimilated (i.e. broken down and used) by the body which makes it great for pre-workout shakes. However, because of that quick absorption, it’s also great to use post workout to help add a quick rebuilding boost to the muscles.
Casein Protein: Casein is much different than whey protein as it is much slower to digest in the body. Because of this, it also releases its amino acids over a long period of time. This slow digestive property makes it a great addition to your post workout shake (that can include whey protein as well for some quick absorbing protein) and can also be used as a meal replacement for those times when your next meal won’t be for a while.
Pea Protein: Organic vegetable based proteins such as pea, pumpkin and sesame have continued to gain in popularity. And we believe that pea protein in particular is a great protein for all purpose. While it is not as slow to absorb as casein, it is not as fast to absorb as soy protein but still has amino acids which are used as building blocks for building muscle. It is for that purpose that I recommend adding a scoop of pea protein into your shake regardless of when you are ingesting it!
Here’s the bottom line when choosing your ideal protein: It’s a good idea to not just get stuck on one type of protein because in addition to different absorption rates, they also provide different types of amino acids to your body. This variation is something your body wants and will respond well to.
And keep in mind that not all brands are created equally. And especially for the vegan compounds. We recommend you use Standard Process for your pea protein, should you choose to include it in your diet. That way you know that at least one of your protein powders is of the highest standard in quality and purity!
Our favorite clean vegan protein powder is Veg-E Complete Pro. It’s an amazing protein powder.
You can get a Standard Process account online but it does requires an access code.
If you are an Express Chiropractic Fort Worth patient, you can set up your account by going to https://www.standardprocess.com/Patient-Direct/patient-registration.
Enter this code: J38ZZQ
Please don’t share it. It is for our customers only.
Happy shake drinking!