Protein Powder Guide For Beginners

Including protein powder in your diet seems like an easy and effective way to help boost your overall health:

However, when one actually considers the number of different protein powders currently available on the market, it can be difficult to determine which one will work best. 

This is why a protein powder guide for beginners is useful:

Different Protein Powders

As one may already have assumed, protein powders are not all created equally.  They can come in a variety of different forms, though the three most common and popular are:

  • Whey
  • Soy
  • Casein

Reasons To Use Protein Powders

One of the main reasons an individual will turn to protein powder is to help burn fat and build muscle through a dietary and exercise regimen that includes a regular workout and protein powder.

Another reason an individual will turn to protein powder is to supplement their diet if they are vegan, recovering from an injury, or have some other reason to assume that they are not getting enough protein through their normal diet. 

Protein is important in the individual’s diet because it helps to break down into important amino acids in the body, it helps with muscle growth and repair, and it helps to preserve lean muscle when the individual is losing fat.

Supplementing Protein

While it is possible to consume a good amount of protein simply from the foods one eats every day, many individuals recognize the fact that they don’t do this in sufficient quantities on a regular basis, and this is where protein powder can come in so handy. 

Those individuals who exercise and workout regularly will find that they need even more protein than an individual who is leading a more relaxed and sedentary lifestyle, and therefore they can benefit even more from having protein powder part of their diet.

Despite what some people may have heard, true protein powders cannot make an individual fat.  There are other nutritional powders designed to help an individual gain weight and add bulk, but these are not by definition real protein powders. 

Weight Gain Powders

Powders that are designed to help an individual gain weight and add bulk are normally high in fat and carbohydrates, while the best protein powders normally only contain a very small amount of sweeteners and flavorings to make them more palatable.

How To Use A Protein Powder?

Protein powders do not need to be taken immediately after a workout in order to be effective.:

In fact, taking protein powder immediately after a workout can interrupt the body’s natural repair process that takes place after a workout. 

It’s better to put some time in between taking protein powder and working out, as then the protein powder acts as a supplement rather than an interruption of the body’s normal, natural and important functionings.

Protein powders can be used any time an individual desires to get more protein into their diet. 

Finding The Best Protein Powder For You?

That said, whenever an individual is seeking to find the best protein powder for their individual needs, especially if they intend to take it regularly, it is important to find one that has the least amount of ingredients and does not contain added caffeine, sweeteners, vitamins and fillers. 

The flavor of the protein powder can also be important, depending on how you want to take it:

  • You can use protein powder to make a shake with fruits, vegetables, peanut butter, milk, or even frozen bananas. 
  • You can also mix protein powder in oatmeal, cottage cheese or yogurt. 
  • Some individuals even add protein powder to pancakes, muffins, breads, pizza and more. 

Variety can be wonderfully helpful in order to ensure that you get your full complement of protein every day, without becoming bored by or disinterested in your food. 

There are many, many different recipes available online, and experimenting with a few may even open the door to new ideas of your own.  

Conclusion

Each seller may go on endlessly about why their protein powder is the absolute best, but the honest truth is that it really depends on the individual’s needs and desires to determine which protein powder will be the most beneficial to their overall health.