Everything You Need To Know About Protein Powder

If you’ve ever walked into a supplement store looking for a protein powder and felt overwhelmed, you are not alone.

I can remember walking into a supplement store when I was in high school and not knowing anything. I had to rely on some jacked guy working behind the counter wearing a shirt that was way too small for him.

With so many types of powders with different ingredients, it can feel like you don’t even know where to start.

By the end of this article, you’ll know all about the most common protein powders and how to choose the right one for you.

Let’s get started!

Do I need to take a protein powder?

Before we get to the most common protein powders, you might be wondering if you even need to take a protein powder.

Protein is a vital macronutrient that your body needs for all kinds of functions, including building and maintaining muscle.

As long as you get enough quality protein every day, a protein powder isn’t necessary.

In fact, there isn’t anything inherently beneficial about protein powder when taken by itself. It’s not a steroid, and it won’t magically make you grow muscle. 

It can be a cheap, convenient and tasty way to hit your protein target for the day.

For high school kids, it can be a fast way to get in some calories and protein between school, practices and games.

If you work a desk job and your goal is weight loss, an afternoon protein shake with fruit can be a healthier alternative to higher calorie snacks like chips and donuts.

The bottom line is that if you can get enough daily protein without a powder, then cool. There’s no need for a powder.

If you have trouble hitting your protein goal and you’re interested in finding a protein powder that’s right for you, read on.

Protein quality

When picking a protein powder, one of the most important factors to consider is the quality of the protein source.

Protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids. Think of amino acids like chain links. The links are amino acids and the chain is a protein. Our body uses amino acids for many different functions in our body, including building and breaking down muscle tissue.

There are about 20 different amino acids that our body needs. Nine of those amino acids are considered essential because our body cannot make them. 

Different protein sources have different levels of amino acids. High quality protein sources have high levels of these nine amino acids, while low quality protein sources are either low or missing one or a few amino acids. Animal sources of protein (meat, milk, and eggs) are higher in the nine essential amino acids and an amino acid in particular called leucine, which has been linked to muscle growth (1).

Certain protein sources are also digested better than others. Plant protein sources tend to be less easily digested than animal protein sources because the proteins are bound up in fiber.

Let’s break down some of the most common protein powders and the source of protein they come from.

Whey

Whey is the most common form of protein powder. It’s actually a byproduct of making cheese.

When cheese is made, enzymes are added to milk to make it clump together into casein, which can be used to make different products. The watery substance left behind is called whey (2).

The whey then goes through a filtration process that removes excess fat and carbohydrates. The liquid that’s left is then heat dried, cooled, and mixed with other ingredients to make protein powder.

Whey protein is one of the highest quality protein sources available. It contains high levels of all nine essential amino acids, and is easily digested and used by your body (3). 

Casein 

Casein is made from the lumpy part of the cheese in the cheese-making process. It is a slower digesting protein source than whey (3). This means that the amino acids from casein protein powder are released slowly into your body over a few hours, while the amino acids from whey are released and absorbed quickly.

Since casein is a slower digesting protein source, it’s been shown that having it before bed can help elevate muscle protein synthesis (the creation of new muscle proteins) and prevent muscle protein breakdown (the breakdown of muscle proteins) while you sleep (4).

In theory, this sounds like it would make it a must-have supplement to take before bed. If casein helps stimulate muscle protein synthesis and prevent muscle protein breakdown while you sleep, that must mean that it will help you build and retain muscle more than if you had a different protein source before bed.. right?

The problem is that in studies that compare casein protein ingestion at different times of the day (morning and before bed), there is no difference in body composition (5, 6).

Whether or not casein protein powder can help you build more muscle than a different protein source before bed (like whey or simply a meal with protein in it) has yet to be answered. It would require studies that compare casein to a different protein source right before bed, which don’t exist yet.

Milk protein blends

Some protein powders use a blend of whey and casein protein and are marketed as being superior because they offer the best of both worlds, meaning they contain a fast and slow digesting protein source.

Egg white 

For people who don’t tolerate dairy well, egg white protein can be a great choice. Egg whites are a high quality protein source that are digested well. They are very close to whey in their amino acid profile and how well they are digested.

Beef protein

Beef protein powder sounds great in theory, but unfortunately doesn’t make for a good quality protein powder.

The reason is that beef protein powder is made from all the unwanted parts of the cow like ligaments, joints, ears and hooves. The parts are ground down into a substance called gelatin, which is usually the main ingredient in beef protein powders.

The problem is that this gelatin is a very low quality protein source. Even though the overall amount of protein in the powder is comparable to whey, the amino acid profile is not nearly as good as whey.

There is one study showing similar effects on body composition when post workout whey is compared to beef protein powder (7). This doesn’t necessarily mean that beef protein powder is comparable to whey protein. It’s only one study, and it doesn’t account for all beef protein powders (which may be lower quality than the one used in the study). 

Whether or not you choose to use beef protein powder is up to you. However, if you don’t tolerate dairy well, I would recommend egg white protein powder over beef protein powder.

Soy protein

Soy protein powders are made from soybeans. Unlike most plant protein sources, soybeans are a high quality source of protein and are comparable to whey in terms of their digestibility (3).

There is also research showing no significant difference in body composition or strength increases between animal protein and soy protein supplementation (8).

One concern around soy protein powders is that they contain isoflavones. Isoflavones can mimic the female hormone estrogen, in theory lowering testosterone and increasing estrogen in men.

The research is mixed on this. In a 2020 meta analysis (which is a review of many studies to draw a conclusion), neither soy nor isoflavones were found to affect male hormones (9).

However, there are a few studies that show the opposite. 

One study showed a decrease of testosterone in healthy men over 18 when supplementing with 56g of soy protein per day (10). The testosterone levels of the participants increased two weeks after stopping supplementing with the soy protein.

Another study compared whey protein and soy protein supplementation following resistance exercise, and found that 20g of soy protein decreased testosterone levels in the male participants (11).

While the results are mixed, I would recommend a different plant based protein powder if you’re looking to avoid animal protein. In my opinion, the mixed research on testosterone levels is enough to skip soy.

Pea protein + rice protein

Pea protein is an incomplete protein source by itself. It’s low in the essential amino acid methionine (12). However, when it’s blended with brown rice protein (which is high in methionine, but low in other essential amino acids) it has a similar amino acid profile to whey. 

It’s also hypoallergenic, meaning it’s relatively unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. If you’re somebody who is allergic to dairy and egg products, pea and brown rice protein is an excellent protein powder choice.

Research also shows that it stacks up pretty well against whey protein. A 2015 study compared pea protein to whey protein, and actually found greater bicep thickness from pea protein compared to whey protein supplementation (13).

Another study found that whey and pea protein powder promoted similar gains in strength, performance and muscle mass (14).

If you’re looking for a vegetarian or vegan option, I’d go with pea and brown rice protein blend over soy.

Hemp seed protein

Hemp seed protein has become popular over the past few years, with some information out there claiming that it’s a complete protein.

Unfortunately, this isn’t true. Hemp seeds are lacking in the amino acid lysine, making them an incomplete protein by themselves (15).

I would stick with a pea and rice blend if you’re looking for a vegetarian or vegan option.

Collagen protein

Collagen protein is usually derived from the connective tissue and skin of cows, fish and pigs (16). The collagen then goes through a process where it’s broken down into shorter amino acid chains called peptides that your body can absorb.

The issue with collagen protein is that it’s very low in leucine and is missing the essential amino acid tryptophan, making it an incomplete protein (17).

When compared to a placebo, research has shown that even despite its overall poor quality collagen protein has been shown to increase strength and lean body mass (18). 

However, when compared to whey protein, collagen protein doesn’t stack up in terms of muscle building (19).

Just because collagen isn’t great for building muscle doesn’t mean that it’s useless. Collagen protein has been shown to help tendon and ligament health (20, 21).

As a primary protein supplement, collagen protein doesn’t make sense. You’re better off going with a higher quality protein source, like whey or egg white.

Bone broth protein

Bone broth protein is made by cooking chicken bones, tendons and ligaments into a broth. The broth is then turned into a powder.

Like collagen, most of the protein in bone broth protein comes from tendons and ligaments, so the protein quality is not very good. 

You’re better off skipping bone broth protein and going with whey or egg white protein.

Protein processing

All the protein powders above will come in the form of concentrates, isolates, and hydrolysates. The main difference between the three types of powder is the amount of processing that each one goes through.

Protein concentrates

Concentrates are the least processed and are usually around 70-80% protein by weight (meaning that for 100 grams of whey concentrate, 70-80 grams is protein). The remaining weight is made up of carbohydrates and fats from the milk that the concentrate was extracted from. 

Usually, when you hear “less processed” you automatically think “better”. In the case of protein powder (specifically whey protein powder), that’s not necessarily the case.

Because there is minimal processing, whey protein concentrate still contains some lactose from the milk it was derived from. If you’re lactose intolerant, you might want to skip whey concentrates.

If you’re trying to watch your carbs and fat intake, concentrates will contain more calories for the same amount of protein that isolates will. 

Protein concentrates tend to be the cheapest because they go through the least amount of processing. If price is a concern and you don’t mind having some extra carbs and fats in your protein powder, concentrates are a good option.

Protein isolates

Protein isolates go through additional processing and are typically 90-95% protein by weight. They go through a filtration process that removes most of the extra carbohydrates and fats that concentrates contain.

Whey isolates also have most of the lactose removed during the filtration process, so even people who are lactose intolerant should be able to tolerate whey isolates.

Protein hydrolysates

Protein hydrolysates go through even more processing which breaks apart the amino acids into shorter chains called peptides (22).

These shorter peptides are more easily digested, which makes protein hydrolysates the fastest digesting protein available.

Protein hydrolysates are often marketed as being advantageous over concentrates or isolates because of their faster digestion, but research doesn’t seem to support this (23).

One benefit of hydrolysates is because they are so processed, they are essentially pre-digested, which can make them easier on your stomach if you have issues with concentrates of isolates. 

Hydrolysates are the most expensive form of protein, so you’ll have to decide if the benefits are enough to spend the extra money on.

Other ingredients

Unless you absolutely hate your life and want to get an unflavored protein powder with nothing in it except protein (and even then, it will still probably contain some thickening agents and anti-clumping ingredients), the powder you choose will have a few other ingredients. 

Remember that the quantity of ingredients is listed from the biggest to smallest. In other words, the first ingredient makes up most of the product, and the last ingredient may only make up a small amount of the powder.

Generally speaking, the less ingredients in your protein powder the better. If your protein powder has 957 ingredients that you’ve never heard of before, it’s probably best to ditch it.

Protein

The first ingredient in your protein powder should be protein (duh 🙄).

It will be the type of protein (whey, pea, soy etc.) followed by the processing method (concentrate, isolate, or hydrolysate).

There might be a combination of protein types listed as the first ingredients. 

For example, you might see whey protein isolate followed by whey protein concentrate as the first two ingredients. Companies usually do this as a way to save money because whey concentrate is cheaper than whey isolate.  

Some companies also use a combination of protein sources like whey, egg, and casein. They usually do this to take advantage of the different digestion speeds of the protein sources (whey protein is faster digesting than casein).

Regardless of the protein source and processing method, if protein isn’t the first ingredient I wouldn’t even consider it!

Flavoring

Following protein, you’ll most likely see some sort of flavoring. These might be listed as individual ingredients (like cacao powder), or as natural or artificial flavors.

Artificial flavorings are made in a lab by extracting molecules from inedible sources (like petroleum) and combining them to create a flavor. They are generally regarded as safe to consume in small amounts (24). 

Natural flavorings are made the same way, with the exception being that they are created from natural sources. 

On a molecular level, natural and artificial flavorings are the exact same. The only difference is where they were sourced from (25).

Whether or not you want your protein powder to contain artificial flavorings is up to you. Just know the difference between the two, and know what to look for on the ingredient list.

Sweeteners

The next ingredient will usually be some form of sweetener. Sweeteners fall into the category of nutritive and non-nutritive.

Nutritive sweeteners contain calories and are less common in protein powders. This is because manufacturers usually want to keep sugar and carbohydrates to a minimum in their product. Examples of nutritive sweeteners are sugar, honey, high fructose corn syrup, agave, and coconut sugar.

Most protein powders you’ll find contain non-nutritive sweeteners, which contain very little or no calories. Some common examples are stevia, monk fruit extract, erythritol, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose.

Acesulfame potassium and sucrose are artificial sweeteners, meaning they are not derived from natural sources (26). Artificial sweeteners are generally recognized as safe when moderately consumed.

Stevia, monk fruit and erythritol are considered natural sweeteners. This is a little misleading, because while they are derived from natural sources, they are still highly processed. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it just means that the image you probably have of protein powder companies taking natural ingredients from the ground and blending them up into your favorite protein powder isn’t accurate.

You’ll have to decide which sweetener you prefer and what makes sense for your diet and goals. Personally, I look for a protein powder to be sweetened with stevia. Stevia extract isn’t made in a lab, it’s extracted from a real plant (27). As long as you aren’t one of Walter White’s associates who tried to cross him, stevia is perfectly safe.

Thickening agents

Protein powder manufacturers often add ingredients like xanthan gum, guar gum, psyllium husk, dextrins and inulin to create a thicker shake.

The small amounts of these ingredients in protein powders are nothing to be concerned about. 

Emulsifiers and anti-clumping ingredients

Without adding emulsifiers and anti-clumping ingredients, protein powders would not mix as well and would likely have a grittier texture. 

Some examples of emulsifiers and anti-clumping ingredients are lecithins (soy, sunflower), carrageenan, silicon dioxide, and carboxymethylcellulose.

Similar to thickening agents, these are safe in the amounts found in protein powders.

Sometimes vegetable oils like soybean, sunflower and coconut are used as thickeners as well. You’ll have to read the label of your protein powder to see if it contains any of these, and decide for yourself whether you want these in your protein powder.

Ingredients you DON’T want

Lastly, you want to make sure your protein powder does not contain any extra amino acids, digestive enzymes, creatine or probiotics. 

It might seem like the company is throwing these in there to make a better product, but in reality they are probably just trying to cut corners or drive up the cost of their protein. 

Extra amino acids are added to boost the overall protein content while cutting down on costs. The protein content of various powders is tested by measuring the amount of nitrogen in the powder, because all amino acids contain nitrogen. The company can save money by using a smaller percentage of whey or casein, and adding cheaper amino acids to the powder to make up the difference. Since those amino acids still contain nitrogen, the powder will test for the marketed amount of protein, but only a percentage will be high quality complete protein. The rest will be low quality, incomplete protein. 

Supplement companies sometimes add digestive enzymes to help with the absorption of protein. The issue here is the research is very limited on whether added enzymes help with the absorption of protein. It’s likely a way that companies drive up the cost of their powder while adding no value.

Added creatine might seem like a bonus in your protein powder, but the reality is that it might not be a high enough amount to do anything for you. Manufacturers put just a little bit in, and they substantially raise the price of the powder and justify it by claiming it contains creatine.

Similarly to creatine, probiotics are added in small amounts and then used to justify a higher cost of the protein. You’re better off getting these separately to ensure that you’re getting adequate amounts.

Can you trust what’s on your protein powder label?

In the United States, supplements are regulated by the FDA to a different set of standards than conventional food and drug products (28). The FDA does NOT have the authority to approve supplements for safety or effectiveness, OR approve their label before they are sold to the public (29). 

This means that the FDA won’t step in until supplement products have already been on the market (if they even step in at all). It also means that what is on the label of your favorite protein powder might not actually be what’s in the product.

There are stories of supplement companies putting illegal substances in the first batch of a product on purpose, with the goal of consumers getting insane results from taking that product. Before the FDA can step in, the supplement companies change the formula and remove the illegal substances. However, word has already spread that this new product gets great results, and the company continues to sell their products.

Even if supplement companies aren’t using unethical sales methods, their products might be contaminated with chemicals or heavy metals. Since the companies don’t have to go through testing, they might not even know themselves.

For these reasons, it’s important to get a protein powder that’s been third party tested. This means that the manufacturer sends their product to a lab that makes sure what’s on the label is what’s actually in the product. The lab can also test for contaminants like chemicals or heavy metals to make sure the product is clean.

NSF’s Certified For Sport is a very reputable third party testing company that works with the United States Anti- Doping Agency (USADA), the NHL, MLB and is recommended by the NFL, NBA and PGA.

Other well known third party testing companies are LabDoor, ConsumerLab and USP.

Wrapping up

With so many different types of protein powders available, it can seem overwhelming trying to decide which one is best for you. 

The next time you walk into a supplement store, you’ll have a better understanding of different protein powders as well as what is on the label.

Use this article as a checklist of sorts to help you choose a protein powder that fits your needs, if you decide that you want to use one.

As always, feel free to leave any questions below!