Which so many different types of protein powders on the market you could go crazy trying to figure out which one to take and when! But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. In this short post I will go over the three major types of protein powders and highlight the benefits and downfalls of them.

The three major protein powders are: Whey protein, casein protein and soy protein.

Whey Protein

Why protein has an superior amino acid profile, it can be rapidly absorbed and utilized, it has a high amount of cysteine and many different types of peptides which have different features. Whey protein is found in twenty percent of total milk protein. Because whey protein is rapidly absorbed and utilized the best times to have it are before working out and straight after (within one hour of finishing your workout is best). Having whey protein a few times per day will help keep you in an anabolic state.

Casein Protein

Casein protein like whey protein has an complete amino acid profile, it is very slowly digested and also has peptides in a varying amount. Unlike whey protein casein is not good to have before or after workouts since it is so slowly absorbed into the bloodstream. Casein makes up eighty percent of milk protein. Whey protein is superior in these situations because you need protein to be absorbed fast. The best time to have casein protein, where it is far superior to whey, is right before bed so that a steady steam of protein is absorbed into your bloodstream as you sleep. This will keep you in an anabolic state and prevent muscle breakdown.

Soy Protein

Soy protein was hailed as a miracle for vegetarian bodybuilders for along time ago and it was hyped up as a wonder food with magical properties but recently soy has come under fire. Many soy based products including soy protein is genetically modified and it contains large amounts of estrogen which is definitely not good for males who want to build muscle. I would not recommend soy protein. But if your a vegetarian then there are other less popular vegetarian proteins that are coming out that are excellent. Look for vegetarian proteins with brown rice or yellow pea protein bases.

So who wins the war of the protein powders! I think whey would come in with a first place, followed by casein and lastly a vegetarian based protein such as brown rice protein. Take whey throughout the day and before and after workouts, while take casein before bed or when you are going through an extended amount of time without being able to ingest any protein.