Very confused about what type of Whey protein to use........

daniel_b

Hello all,

training for some upcoming sportives, and also just re-assembled our Multigym, and am keen to get some whey protein as a 'recovery drink'

I see myprotein.co.uk seems to be touted as one of the best places to get the stuff from.

Not planning to use it all year round, just when training for a specific event or after a particularly hard or long bike ride.

What confuses me is when I go to the website, I see a whole host of options:

- Acid Whey Protein
- ELITE True Whey
- Hydrolysed Whey Protein
- Impact Whey Isolate
- Impact Whey Protein
- Total Milk and Whey
- True Whey

Are these all just different makes........?

How do I know which is best for me, does anyone have any recommendations?

Unflavoured or flavoured.........?
I've seen Vanilla recommended by a few people.

I did do a search of the forums here, and saw quite a few thread, sbut none that went into specifically which ones are best.

Any guidance greatly appreciated!

Dan

Eddy S

Just my opinion...

Whey protein isolate natural flavour (I use the one by Power Sport) – that way I control exactly what goes in to my recovery drinks i.e. no artificial sweetener, flavours or colouring.

jim one

Drink a pint of milk or nesquick and save yourself the cash. You should be getting a good amount of protein in your diet. Otherwise you will just get fat drinking protein shakes as your body wont be able to make use of all the protein on top of your normal meals.

Anonymous

Reflex Whey Protein from Affordable Supplements is pretty good, it's what I use, as it's high quality and relatively cheap, however any whey protein isolate should be good.

sods_law

Impact Whey protein is the standard protein powder. I use choc flavour (smooth). A 30ml scoop after training with half a pint of water is a good mix, just make sure you use a shaker to avoid lumps. There is probably very little price difference between using protein and Newquik, as even a 1kg bag lasts a fair while, and there is much less fat in the protein!

Edit: My Protein actually give advice on what each protein type is suitable for, have a proper read of each type.

BeaconRuth

Do you know that you need extra protein? Whenever I count exactly what I eat I find that I'm eating a lot more protein than I need, just through a very ordinary diet.

Ruth

daniel_b

Thankyou all for your replies,

Ruth, no I have to be honest I have no idea :oops:

I shall do some more research, and do some totting up,

Cheers

Dan

BeaconRuth

Daniel B wrote:

I shall do some more research, and do some totting up,

If your aim is to train for endurance events such as sportives then in the region of 1.5g per kg of body weight (per day) is what you should be aiming for.

I usually find myself eating over 2g/kg per day without any special effort. I try to time a snack or meal including some protein after any training session - so I have no need of recovery drinks or extra protein from day to day. I would be surprised if most people eating a balanced diet weren't in the same boat.

Ruth

Blonde

I agree with BeaconRuth that protein supplements or drinks/bars are just a convenient way of getting protein immediately after a ride and if you are cycling home for a meal, you may not need them. I find protein bars useful, however, for in the car when driving from track session or an event, or when relying on hotel meal times, which may not coincide with the end of an event or training ride.

irvini

Maximuscle Promax seems to be pretty decent after a ride.

But I made the mistake of getting Cyclone once and after a few weeks of that I'd blown up like a balloon - chockful of calories you don't really need.

And when I say blew up like a balloon I mean in a bad way - John Travolta style rather than Arnie style

xRichx

I like the Bulk Supplements direct http://www.bulksupplementsdirect.co.uk/ ... ete_F.html

Pretty much the same as myprotein's milk & whey, but in my oppinion taste and mixability is second to none (Especially the Strawb & Cream, not synthetic at all). Plus I've had a fair few bad customer service dealings with MP. and if you use the code BSD54 you'll get 5% off the order.

I generally use it now straight after my training to get a decent whack of protein down in the 30min window of oppertunity as it's better absorbed than solids. I'll also use it as before bed shake to keep the body fuelled slowly overnight.

Escargot

+1 for BeaconRuth

Unless you know roughly how much protein is in your normal diet you will be (literally) throwing your money down the toilet (and annoying your loved ones in the process).

I got caught up in the whole protein thing a while back and it really is a waste of money. Far better to develop better eating habbits and to fuel yourself with the right stuff.

Admittedly Maximuscle's Promax Extreme is the most expensive but if you read the instructions you're supposed to take 90g per day. A 900g tub costs about £40 so for one month you will need to spend about £120.

What I ended up doing (because I eat well but too little) was to make my own shakes with milk, milk powder, nuts, oats, a banana, dried fruit and seeds. Blend it all together and drink. Drink an hour or two before a workout and the oats will give you energy and the protein will negate the need for anything post workout.

Headhuunter

I drink the basic Impact stuff from My Protein. It's mostly whey protein concentrate. I think the main diferences are:

Concentrates contain a low level of fat and cholesterol but, in general, have higher levels of bioactive compounds, and carbohydrates in the form of lactose

Isolates are processed to remove the fat, and lactose, but are usually lower in bioactive compounds as well

Hydrolysates are predigested, partially hydrolysed whey proteins that, as a consequence, are more easily absorbed, but their cost is generally higher but they may be less allergenic than other forms of whey

I buy the unflavoured stuff, I mix a scoop with about quarter to half a pint of milk to take immediately after the gym. It has a very milky taste and is slightly bitter, I can see why some people prefer flavoured versions but I knock it back in 1 so don't really care about the taste.

I think My Protein is the cheapest source of protein. Other brands like Maximuscle are massively over priced. There is lots of forum information on protein types on eth My Protein website and you'd probably get more detailed info there.

Nesquick is likely to be more expensive than bulk buying whey protein from the net and it's choc full of flavourings, preservatives, sugar and fat and not very high in protein. Not a good option. Taking too much protein doesn't make you fat, it puts a strain on your kidneys. Drink plenty of water to flush it through, however if you need to flush it through you'll just end up with expensive pee.