[EricW]

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Okay. First of all, not all protein powders are the same. Some are "sugar shakes with a bit of protein." Others are "protein shakes with little to no sugar." Unless, for some reason, your doctor has you on a high carb/sugar diet, you don't want to do the sugar shakes, like SlimFast.

Whey is considered to be the highest bioavailable protein source. Which means that your body actually uses it. Obviously you want the highest bioavailability. Here is a list:

Whey Protein Isolate Blends 100-159
Whey Concentrate (Lactalbumin) 104
Whole Egg 100
Cow's Milk 91
Egg White (Albumin) 88
Fish 83
Beef 80
Chicken 79
Casein 77
Rice 74
Soy 59
Wheat 54
Beans 49
Peanuts 43

As you can see, whey is so pre-digested that it has the highest BV.

Modern scientists say that average humans cannot absorb more than about 30-35 grams of protein at a time (two hour stretch), so buying one of those super proteins that has like 50 grams in it is just a waste (unless you halve it).

Whey tastes the best, IMO. Soy is too gritty, egg causes massive gas. But look at the list for alternatives if you are allergic to whey.

Whey tends to start breaking down almost from the time it's mixed with liquids. So drink it up quickly. Don't let it sit around, or it will not taste good, and you might feel kind of icky. Don't believe that? Well, let it sit out for about two hours, and then go take a whiff, lol.

I tend to mix mine like a Starbucks Frappuccino. I take some cold coffee or a couple shots of espresso, ice, milk and the powder, then blend it all. I've given dozens of people blind taste tests and not one has said mine was the protein. They either like them both about the same, Starbucks better or mine better, but the point is NO ONE said it tasted like protein (no aftertaste).

I have found that to kill the aftertaste, you should blend it with something stronger than the protein. So if you are into fruit type drinks or smoothies, lemonade, OJ, grape juice, etc works well (usually with fruit flavored protein or vanilla flavored).

Cold coffee is a definitely the best counter to any aftertaste. Peanut butter is a good one, too (like a chocolate & PB shake).

I have hundreds of recipes, but what I tell people is that you will experiment until you come up with your own favorites, not mine. Basically, if it doesn't taste as good as Starbucks, or a fruit smoothie, you are doing something wrong.

Good luck!

Felicia [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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Hello,

With all due respect, some of the information you posted is incorrect. The comment about the body only being able to digest 30-35 grams of protein at one time is incorrect. Please provide me with the "modern scientists" who have said this. Futhermore, those who have done the "warrior diet", a diet where one eats a full day's food in one sitting (I'm not saying that this is optimal but people have done this especially people in the past such as hunters etc) show that the body digests more than 30-35 grams at time. These people would not be able to survive with just 30-35 grams of protein being digested in a day.

The bioavailability is over-rated. Obviously you don't want a crappy protein shake with poor filtration processes which results in a high lactose content and denatured proteins, but spending the most money for the "highest quality protein shake" is assinine. The differences between a good, regular protein powder such as Optimum Nutrition's 100% whey and an expensive Whey isolate protein are not so great that one produces higher goal (fitness/body/muscle) results than the other.

You further made comparisons between whey and other sources of protein such as chicken and beef. From your post, I gathered that you were saying that whey is superior to these sources of protein. This is not true. It depends on the situation. For example, whey is better for a post workout meal because it is digested faster than chicken or beef. However, whey only would be a terrible choice for a pre bed snack/meal. The reason being that whey is digested so quickly that you don't get a steady stream of proteins/amino acids throughout the night. So to say that whey is simply better than all these other sources of protein is wrong.

The sugar shakes with some protein and a load of sugar you speak of are usually weight gainers. Those are filled with a bunch of sugar such as maltodextrin to add in calories. They are not needed. But that's the reason there is a load of sugar in it - people want the calories.

Finally, protein shakes are not essential. They are optimal for post workout and they are convienent. Drinking protein shakes throughout the day rather than having other sources of protein will not help you reach your fitness goals any faster. Whey protein is still protein. It is not a steroid. Whey protein does replace a well planned diet.