“Which protein is better?” – a rhetorical question.
And like all questions of this type, it has an infinite number of answers. It depends on whom you ask: a sports store seller, a bodybuilder named Sergey, a scientist, or a doctor.
Below is our version of the answer to this complex question. Complex because everything in the world of nutrition, including sports nutrition, is very relative.
There cannot be unequivocal recommendations in the form of specific brands of sports nutrition: “Weider is good for men, but not for women. Women are better off with ON.”
The only correct answer to it is an explanation of fundamental principles, without which one can endlessly be swayed by sellers’ claims about “the best proteins for …, which can only be bought from them.”
In this article, we will try to provide an objective answer to the question of the best protein for various purposes: for gaining muscle mass and for weight loss, for men and women, for beginners and “advanced,” etc.
Too much at once?
Yes. Because the answer is one.
Main thoughts:
The best protein tastes… like chocolate
What is the best car? What about a phone? What is the best country to live in?
As many people as there are, there are opinions.
The same applies to the question posed in the title of this article.
Typically, those who use sports protein in their practice answer the question about the best protein based on:
- taste
Some people like the taste of chocolate, others prefer banana or vanilla. Obviously, taste has no direct relation to the purpose for which protein is consumed. And as we know, there are no friends in taste and color.
- brand
For many, the catchy names Maxler, Optimum Nutrition, Dymatize, MusclePharm, etc., are sufficient grounds to label the protein they produce as “the best.”
There is some sense in this. But only some. More on this below.
- degree of technological processing or “naturalness” of the protein
All sports proteins are derived from natural raw materials, natural protein products, through various technological manipulations (exposure to acids, alkalis, temperature, etc.), during which the protein molecule can be damaged or harmful substances can be formed (see Is protein harmful? Scientific studies).
The more natural the protein, the more beneficial it is for health, muscle mass gain, and weight loss.
- laboratory quality tests
Even proteins from well-known manufacturers can contain impurities of heavy metals, pesticides, and the amount of protein and other components may differ from what is stated on the label. Confirmations here.
- expert opinions
It is characteristic for people to believe what successful authorities in a certain field say. At the same time, we often forget the necessity of a critical attitude towards what experts say, who are often used (and they gladly agree) by manufacturing companies to promote their products.
Example: consider whether the appearance of Lionel Messi in the advertisement for Lays chips says anything about the quality of the advertised product? or Stanislav Lindover in the advertisement for ON proteins?
Most often, those answering the question about the best protein rely on subjective perceptions of reality, which are not supported by any facts.
(To verify this, ask the person recommending something a simple question: “Why?”. In most cases, the answer will be vague.)
That is why there are countless answers to this question.
What we need is objectivity.
Most often, in our assessment of the best protein, we rely on subjective factors: taste, color, brand, reviews from “experts,” etc., which explains the countless opinions on this matter.
The protein itself matters, not the brand
Protein is one of the three fundamental components of food, along with carbohydrates and fats, without which life itself is impossible, as well as accompanying phenomena such as muscle mass gain or weight loss.
For protein to perform its fundamental life functions, including the building function (for building muscle mass), it must be:
- complete (i.e., contain all the necessary amino acids);
- well absorbed by our body;
- free from harmful impurities for human health.
Ensuring the supply of such protein to our body is a daily task for each of us. Moreover, it does not matter what its source is: dietary supplements or natural products, as long as the listed conditions are met.
In addition, for muscle mass gain and weight loss, the following factors are important:
- the rate of protein absorption (“fast” and “slow” proteins);
- the type of protein: whole molecule or pre-digested (individual amino acids or chains of amino acids as in hydrolysates, for example).
As for the differences between the best proteins for men and women, attention should be paid to:
- the content of certain hormones in some types of proteins, particularly estrogen, the female sex hormone, which can influence the process of mass gain, body composition, and health in both men and women.
More details on all of this are below.
For both muscle mass gain and weight loss, and for both men and women, the protein itself, as a food component, matters, not the one produced by a specific company.
It does not matter from which source the protein enters our body – supplements or natural products – as long as it is complete and sufficient.
What protein is best for muscle mass gain?
First of all: yes, protein is needed for muscle mass gain. Our muscles are protein structures, and to build them, appropriate building material is required.
To ensure muscle growth, a complete protein with a full amino acid profile and in sufficient quantity is necessary. This is one of the essential conditions for muscle growth… which does not work if other conditions are not met.
There is a common misconception that it is all about protein. And the question of the best protein that brought you here, dear reader, indirectly suggests that you might also be under the influence of this misconception.
If you eat exclusively protein, even the best one, your muscles will never grow.
A simple example. Nature created milk, human, cow, and other mammals, as the ideal food for the growth and weight gain of their offspring. At the same time, the protein content in milk is just a little over 3% or 3.2 g per 100 g… And if you remove the water and look at the ratio of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates in the remaining dry mass, it will turn out to be approximately the same…
Why?
Because for the growth, development, and health of a living organism, all components of food matter: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc.
A deficiency of even one amino acid can disrupt biological processes in our body, including muscle mass gain.
And if the diet is unbalanced in macronutrients (for example, insufficient carbohydrates), then even when consuming the best and highest quality proteins, there is a high probability of amino acid or protein deficiency in the body, as part of it will be used not for building functions but burned for energy.
Moreover, increasing the protein dosage to compensate for its non-targeted use is not the best solution, as this increases the risk of harm to health.
And it’s not just for nothing that natural products contain carbohydrates and fats… Or do you think it’s to constantly fight against them? To minimize them?
The best proteins for muscle mass gain are those with a complete amino acid profile, regardless of their source (supplements or natural products). If the diet is unbalanced in all macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates), then consuming even the best protein will not help to build muscle mass.
We recommend: Proper nutrition for muscle mass gain: 7 recommendations from experts
Examples of good proteins for muscle mass gain
For muscle growth, it absolutely does not matter what the source of protein is: natural protein products and sports proteins. What is important is sufficient intake of protein with all the necessary amino acids for the body throughout the day, proportional to the load.
Examples of such proteins include: whey protein, casein, egg protein, complex proteins based on them, and combinations of plant proteins (rice, hemp, soy).
Examples of natural products: cottage cheese, eggs, fish, meat, legumes, etc. The list of the best among them is here.
Plant proteins are not very popular in bodybuilding due to the incompleteness of their amino acid profile and lower absorption rates in most cases.
At the same time, some scientists consider them to be more beneficial for health, and the incompleteness of certain plant proteins can be easily compensated by combining them (see How much protein should you drink per day to gain muscle mass? Scientific research).
“Fast” and “slow” proteins
In the bodybuilding community, there is a popular belief in the importance of consuming protein right before, during, and after a workout. It is believed that ensuring a rapid supply of amino acids to the muscles during their active work promotes their growth.
This viewpoint is very popular, has scientific evidence (you can check here and here), and has led sports nutrition manufacturers to develop a form of protein known as hydrolysate, in which the protein molecule is broken down into chains of amino acids (peptides), further accelerating absorption.
We recommend: Whey protein hydrolysate in bodybuilding: scientists’ reviews, how effective it is for mass gain, and how to take it best
At the same time, there is an alternative opinion, also backed by scientific evidence (you can check here), that it does not matter much when and in what form protein is taken, what is important is its sufficient intake throughout the day.
Which opinion to adhere to is up to you.
Theories of rapid absorption are best matched by so-called “fast” proteins.
Among them, the leader is whey protein, as well as hydrolyzed forms (hydrolysates) of other proteins (soy, egg, casein, etc.).
Another popular opinion is the recommendation to consume proteins with a slow digestion rate before bedtime, to ensure a gradual supply of amino acids to resting and recovering muscles throughout the night. This is also a favorable condition for muscle mass growth.
The category of “slow” includes all natural protein products, as well as a type of sports protein known as casein.
A natural analogue of casein is cottage cheese.
What to choose – again, the decision is yours. Also consider the warnings from some scientists about the harm of sports casein (and other sports proteins that undergo harsh technological processing).
The best among “fast” proteins are whey protein and hydrolyzed forms (hydrolysates) of all other proteins; the best “slow” proteins are casein and all natural protein products.
The most popular and one of the best sports proteins
One of the most popular and rightly considered the best types of protein for muscle mass gain is whey protein.
It has a complete amino acid profile, with a relatively high proportion of essential amino acids BCAAs for muscle growth, and it is quickly and fully absorbed.
There are several varieties of whey protein – isolate, hydrolysate, concentrate – which differ in protein concentration, lactose (carbohydrates), absorption rate, and price (read about their differences here).
The best in terms of price/quality is its simplest form – concentrate.
Whey protein concentrate is considered the best among all sports proteins due to its high absorption rate and degree, complete amino acid profile, and “gentle” production technology.
Which protein is better for weight loss?
To answer this question, it is first necessary to understand how protein is beneficial for weight loss.
In short:
- firstly, more calories are spent on digesting protein than on digesting fats and carbohydrates;
This means that if you eat a portion of protein-rich food with a caloric value of 100, about 30 of those calories will go towards the actual digestion. For carbohydrates and fats, this figure is half.
Naturally, for those who want to lose weight, this has some advantages, as with the same caloric intake of food, high-protein food “contains fewer calories that can be stored as fat.”
- secondly, protein is more satiating, i.e., you feel less hungry.
This, in turn, means that if you regularly include protein-rich foods in your diet, your appetite is suppressed faster, you feel less hungry, and the number of calories entering your body decreases.
From this perspective, not all proteins are equally good and effective. The best for weight loss are proteins where the molecule is whole, which needs to be “broken down,” “digested.”
These include all natural protein products, as well as most sports proteins (casein, egg protein, whey protein, soy protein), but not in the form of hydrolysates.
A hydrolysate is designed for faster absorption, which is achieved by pre-breaking down the protein molecule into so-called peptides or chains of amino acids.
Naturally, when losing weight, it is better to choose natural products with low fat content.
However, a type of sports protein known as gainers is contraindicated for weight loss due to their high carbohydrate content: the combination of protein + carbohydrates is good for gaining muscle mass, but there are too many carbohydrates.
Increasing the proportion of proteins in the diet is a principle of many effective diets. How and with which products – sports proteins or natural ones – to do this is up to you.
There is no magic in sports proteins that particularly enhances fat burning.
Many effective diets recommend increasing the proportion of protein in the diet. It is better to do this with whole natural protein products. Sports proteins do not possess any fat-burning magic.
Which protein is better for men? for women?
Better for what?
For gaining muscle mass? for weight loss? for mood?
There are no differences in the recommendations for types of proteins for men and women. Everything mentioned above applies equally to both genders.
The differences are only in the recommended dosages, according to gender (men generally require more protein than women), level of physical activity, and goals (muscle gain, cutting, weight loss, etc.).
There are no grounds to recommend certain proteins exclusively for men or exclusively for women.
The only exception may be soy protein. Scientific studies on its benefits/harms to health are very controversial, both for men and women.
The main argument in the debates about the harm of soy protein is the presence of so-called isoflavones in its composition – a plant analogue of the female sex hormone, as well as the widespread use of harmful chemicals in the process of growing soy, which inevitably end up in soy products and pose a risk even in very small concentrations.
Both factors can affect the hormonal background in the body, including male and female sex hormones.
This is especially important for those who use soy protein regularly and in large doses.
There are no grounds to recommend different types of proteins for men and women. Both should exercise caution when consuming soy protein, which can affect male and female sex hormones.
Natural Protein Products VS Sports Protein. Which is better?
Natural food, unlike sports proteins, is a complex product, which, in addition to macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates), contains other biologically active substances: vitamins, minerals, antioxidants in certain necessary combinations for humans.
When entering the body, this entire “bouquet” of substances triggers a whole series of cascade reactions, including the release of hormones (including growth hormone – one of the anabolic hormones), enzymes, and biological fluids). The normal course of these processes is a necessary condition for the health of our body, its growth, and development.
No person can survive if they only consume 100% the best, highest quality protein.
This is logical, but nevertheless, not everyone understands it.
We recommend: What is better: protein or amino acids. Doctors’ reviews
The protein from natural food is digested more slowly, requires more energy for digestion, and is accompanied by the release of growth hormone.
Sports proteins have absolutely no magic and only one advantage.
And it’s not that with their help you can gain muscle mass faster and larger, better, more defined than if you eat natural protein-rich foods.
And this advantage… is in convenience.
Shaking a portion of protein in a shaker or swallowing a protein bar is more convenient than going to the store for meat, then cutting it, cooking it, and afterwards cleaning the kitchen.
Protein shakes are indispensable in cases where a high pace of life does not allow for a full meal.
Also, with their help, it is easier to “add” the necessary amount of additional protein to the diet according to individual daily norms.
Sports proteins are generally digested much faster and absorbed more completely compared to whole foods, their amino acid composition is optimal, and the calorie content is reduced by removing carbohydrates and fats from the raw materials.
But.
Remember that we all need proteins, fats, and carbohydrates for health, muscle mass gain, and achieving high sports performance.
A high rate of digestion is not a definitively proven condition for muscle growth. The high degree of absorption characteristic of animal proteins is referred to by some scientists as a risk factor for cancer.
Nature has taken care of us and created a wide variety of products for our nutrition.
Representatives of the sports nutrition industry “care” about our appearance by extracting individual components from natural products and selling them to us in separate packages as essential for health and sports achievements.
The importance of consuming natural protein foods is emphasized by professional bodybuilders: Evan Centopani, Phil Heath, Michael Ashly, warning against replacing natural food with sports nutrition.
The general recommendation is this: if you are limited in money but not in time, try to meet the majority of your daily protein needs from lean natural protein foods.
Special sports supplements are a good solution if you need to skip a meal, and can be used right after a workout if you believe in the “open protein window theory,” which is critically important to close quickly after training.
If you are not limited by budget, feel free to consume protein blends, but under no circumstances should you replace regular meals with them. This can indeed be convenient.
Choose those that use technology that maximally preserves the natural properties of the raw materials. And be cautious with soy protein isolate.
Aside from convenience, there are no other significant advantages of sports protein over natural protein products. The best type of protein is natural lean protein products.
Conclusion
For our body, it does not matter where it gets protein from. What matters is the regular intake of amino acids, which make up protein, in certain quantities and ratios.
You can ensure the necessary daily protein dosage by consuming only natural protein products.
If you have decided to use sports proteins, then:
- do so according to the recommendations on how to take protein;
- choose products from trusted brands (don’t fall for cheap blends from China);
Check the reputation of the sports nutrition brand you are purchasing.
Sports proteins can be contaminated with pesticides and heavy metals, contain active substances (protein) that have been degraded due to low-tech production, and carcinogens, and may lack biologically active substances characteristic of natural products.
- sports nutrition should never replace natural food in the diet;
- strive for variety in your choice of protein sources.
Each type of protein contains amino acids in different ratios, as well as vitamins, minerals, and other biologically active substances. By eating a varied diet, you reduce the risk of deficiencies in micro- and macroelements and ensure your muscles receive complete protein nutrition, resulting in growth.
