How To Choose the Best Protein Supplements for Achieving Your Bodybuilding Goals

Protein Sources (Continued)

4. Beef Proteins

Beef proteins are slow released proteins that rate an 80 on the BV scale. While I don't know of any protein supplement in powder on the market that is made from beef proteins, there are beef liver tablets out there that do provide the benefits from beef proteins. Beef proteins are abundant in blood building iron and also in B-vitamins, all factors that contribute to better nutrient utilization and energy production.

5. Soy Proteins

Soy has been shown to exhibit positive health benefits for both men and women. Studies have shown they may reduce the risk of hormone-dependent cancers (breast, prostate, etc), and other cancers as well. Soy's primary health benefits include reducing high cholesterol and easing the symptoms of menopause (due to the fact that it contains estrogen like substances called phyto-estrogens). Soy has also been shown to help with osteoporosis by building up bone mass. Because of this, I like to recommend 1 serving of soy protein per day for women for its health benefits.

However, in the muscle building department, I don't feel that soy is very useful on its own since it is an incomplete protein and its BV value is a distant 49. It is high in branched chain amino acids however so if combined in small quantities with a complete and more bioavailable protein one can benefit from its high BCAA content.

Types of Protein Supplements

Now that we have covered the various proteins used in protein supplements, let's discuss the different types of protein supplements on the market.

1. Weight Gainers

Weight gainers are protein shakes with a high calorie base in the form of carbs along with 30-40 grams of protein for the majority of the products in the market. The protein sources of these products can consist of whey proteins (mostly concentrate with some isolate as well) and/or other protein sources such as milk proteins and egg. These products are characterized by their extremely high carbohydrate content; typically in the form of maltodextrin (a high glycemic complex carb) and fructose (simple sugar originating from fruits).

Weight gainers were very popular back in the 90s but their popularity has died mainly because most people do not have the fast metabolism of a hardgainer; so as a result, a high carbohydrate diet applied on a person with over 10% body fat typically leads mostly to fat gains instead of muscle mass gains. For hardgainers however, and bodybuilders who are below 10% body fat, these products be very useful for getting in the amount of quality calories required to gain quality muscle.

They are best when used for the mid-morning, mid-afternoon and post workout meals as the carbohydrate content is of a fast released nature. They can be mixed with fruit juice or skim milk, and in order to increase the calorie content the use of flaxseed oil and fruits is invaluable.

My favorite weight gainers on the market right now is the Labrada Nutrition Lean Body Mass 60 due to the fact that it has 60 grams of a nice blend of 6 high quality proteins and 77 grams of carbohydrates of which 5 are from fiber! In addition this is one of the very few weight gainers on the market that is super low in sugar (just 5 grams) and in addition it has a full 5 grams of creatine. To top it off, it does not get you bloated as it is 98% lactose free, 96% fat free, and contains no aspartame, sucrose or fructose. I personally use half a serving before and after the workout when on a mass gaining phase.

2. Meal Replacement Powders (MRPs)

These powders are lower in calories due to the fact that they have way less carbohydrates than weight gainers. They were created after the realization that most of the population does not have a weight gain problem and therefore the weight gainers on the market were of little use to them.

Protein-wise, most are composed of whey proteins but there are many new formulas now on the market that consist of a protein blend of whey and milk proteins. Typically, the carbohydrate component used to be maltodextrin, yielding around 25-27 grams of carbohydrate per serving, but the newer generation formulas consist of slower released carbohydrates like brown rice and oats in order to make the product lower glycemic in nature.

Also, essential fatty acids have been added as well as a vitamin and mineral profile. While these products are too low in calories for most Hardgainers, they can use these as long as they add other ingredients such as fruit, skim milk and essential fats in order to increase the caloric base.

My favorite MRPs on the market, by far, are Labrada's Lean Body MRPs due to the fact that they are instantized (you can mix with liquid and a spoon), and they come in unique flavors like cinnamon oatmeal, blueberry, chocolate ice cream, chocolate peanut butter, and many others. In addition they contain essential fats, a slow released carbohydrate matrix and a protein blend of whey proteins and micellar casein.

These products can be used throughout the day in between meals or after the workout.