Protein power-What's what

I have been meaning to do this for awhile now, and now that i have the time i'd like to educate some of you on protein powder. Many times i have witnessed newcomers in the fitness and weight lifting world asking everyone and their mother on what should they be taking, supplementing etc.

Purpose of this post is for you to gain knowledge on the different categories of protein and their use, pros and cons, and be able to pick one right for your needs. So lets get into it!

Whey Proteins

Everyone hears about whey protein. Whey whey whey. But what makes whey so special? Whey proteins have high content of branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs. These specific bcaas are highly valued for stimulating muscle growth. Another important property of whey is the fact that it is a fast-digesting protein. Whey provides amino acids to muscle cells in less than two hours.

These two properties make whey the ideal protein to take immediately before and after your workouts.

->Whey protein Concentrate
High quality whey that is filtered to remove a good portion of the carbs and fat. Most products on the shelves today are about 70-80%

->Whey protein isolate
Purer form of whey than concentrate, because it's processed even further by way of ion-exchange chromatography. This allows for a powder that is greater than 90% protein, which makes it a good choice to use when dieting because of the lower carb and fat content.

-> Whey protein hydrolysate 
Produced when WRC and WRI is taken through a final step known as hydrolysis. Hydrolysis breaks the bonds between amino acids, a job normally reserved for your digestive system. Without the extra workload, your system absorbs is even faster than the other two. This makes WPH a superior postworkout protein choice. 

Casein Proteins
Casein makes up around 75-80% of protein found in milk. It is a complete protein that comes in several forms that are usually from skim milk. Because of its clotting nature, it digests slow and steady (it forms a gel in your stomach). Most casein proteins can deliver amino acids to the muscles over a six hour time period.

 Having a steady amount of amino acids has been shown to prevent muscle protein breakdown, which some suggest is just as important for growth as enhancing muscle protein synthesis.

->Caseinate
Most soluble form of casen, which allows it to mix very easily. If you happen to be limiting your sodium intake, you may want to consider avoiding products with high amounts of sodium caseinate.

->Micellar casein
Made by using micro-filtration to separate the casein portion of milk from the lactose, fat and whey. It digests much more slowly than the other casein proteins, which is its best strength. Before going to bed, if you are taking protein to drink, it should have a good deal of micellar casein, to prevent muscle breakdown while you sleep.

->Hydrolyzed casein protein
Similar to whey protein hydrolysate, is formed by the hydrolysis of casein protein. Unlike the other caseins, micellar casein, HCP is rapidly digested at a similar rate to whey.

Soy Protein
Soy protein is a complete protein, containing all of the essential amino acids. It is typically produced using defatted soy flakes that go through an extraction process that removes the carbs and then are ground to produce soy protein powder. Soy protein is rish in glutamine and arginine and is digested and absorbed quickly. It also provides antioxidant effects and a multitude of health benefits.

If you are looking muscle gains but want to avoid animal based products, this is the protein for you.

->Soy protein concentrate
Around 70% protein with relatively low carbs and fat content. Soy concentrate often has a small amount of indigestible carbs that can cause gas in some people.

->Soy protein isolate
Is made from soy concentrate that is further processed to give a product that is at least 90% protein. 

So there is a breakdown of the three main proteins. I hope this helps you out! Later i will post a few protein recipes that are quick and easy to make!