Gone are the days where one had to rely solely on raw foods for fulfilling their protein intake. And quite obviously, not everyone loves to chew food all day long. Satisfying your daily protein requirement has never been these easy. Just a couple of shakes a day and you are almost there.
Well, in this article, I will take you through best protein supplements in India and how you could use them to gain maximum muscle growth. Here’s your read –
A) Whey Protein
What is it?
Derived from milk during cheese making process, whey protein is by far the most popular protein powder in India. Based on its protein content, whey protein is divided into concentrate and isolate. Isolate whey protein contains a greater percentage of whey compared to concentrate whey protein. However, both concentrate and isolate whey are equally useful.
Related Article: Difference between Whey Protein Isolate vs Concentrate
What does it do?
From a beginner to elite, whey protein has been used by many fitness enthusiasts for a variety of reasons. Besides being a lean muscle supplement, whey protein is also known for its ability to increase performance, strength gains, and endurance levels.
In addition to this, whey protein has also shown to curb hunger and increase satiety levels, thereby benefiting individuals in their quest to lose weight. A couple of whey protein shakes daily will easily make you feel full for hours which can be quite helpful when you are trying to lose weight and get lean. So, next time you feel like eating those fries and burgers, you know you got a better alternative.
How to use it?
Quite often, people use whey protein in pre and post workout shake. I personally consume whey protein isolate shake as first thing in the morning along with a large piece of fruit, usually apple or banana. It serves as an ideal fuel for my muscles for overcoming catabolic state.
Related: Ask the Expert: When is the Best Time to take Whey Protein
B) Casein Protein
What is it?
Casein Protein is another dairy based protein that has recently gained a lot of popularity as one of the best protein supplement in India. Casein protein accounts for a whopping 80% of protein derived from cow’s milk. It is slow-digesting in nature and widely known for its anti-catabolic properties. Calcium Caseinate, Micellar casein, and milk protein are the three types of casein protein available. Although micellar protein is the purest form of casein, its high pricing often makes people opt its standard alternatives like Calcium Caseinate and milk protein.
What does it do?
Many might disagree, but casein protein is as effective as its counterpart – whey. As a matter of fact, the efficacy of casein protein for bodybuilders and athletes has been proven by science. From fat loss to improving strength, casein protein is has shown to benefit its users in various aspects.
Casein protein works even better when combined with whey protein. A recent study conducted by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, USA, showed that subjects who consumed a blend of whey and casein protein had better results in terms of strength and lean muscle growth compared to those on whey and amino acids alone.
How to use it?
Due to its slow-digesting nature and the fact that it is a stable energy source, I usually take it before my bedtime. Besides supplying my body with vital nutrients, taking casein protein before bedtime helps me fight midnight food cravings. As casein protein also happens to be ‘anti-catabolic,’ I also prefer consuming calcium Caseinate as a meal-replacement shake.
Related: What is Casein Protein and its Benefits
C) Soy Protein
What is it?
Next up on this list of best protein powder in India is every vegan and vegetarians first choice – Soy Protein. Although soy protein is a plant-based protein, it contains all essential amino acids required for good muscle growth. Soy protein is obtained from soybeans after removing husk and fats from the latter.
What does it do?
There’s no denying that soy protein is one of the finest plant-based protein alternatives to dairy-based proteins like whey and casein. Soy protein has also performed well in several scientific studies. To cite an example, a study conducted on eighteen young men for analyzing the effects of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate on muscle protein synthesis showed that soy protein was almost as effective as whey in terms of stimulating protein synthesis rates both at rest and after exercise.
How to use it?
The ideal time to take soy protein shake is before and after your training session. However, I would not recommend you to take too much of soy protein on a daily basis as it may have negative implications on your testosterone levels.
D) Egg Protein
What is it?
Till now, you have known egg protein as the protein you get after eating a whole egg. But little do you know that egg protein is also available in the powder form as well. Egg protein powder is manufactured by separating the egg white from the yolk, pulverizing it and lastly drying the remains. The protein powder thus formed is also called as egg albumen.
What does it do?
To begin with, egg protein contains the least amount of carbs and fats among all the other protein powder on the market. Moreover, egg protein sports a little over 24 grams of protein per scoop of serving, while one scoop serving of whey protein usually contains 20-23 grams of protein.
In addition to this, several studies have shown egg protein powder to be as beneficial as whey for building muscle and increasing strength.
However, egg protein supplements in India are usually priced way too high. If budget is your primary concern, then you may want to go for whey protein instead of egg protein.
How to use it?
Try using egg protein on any of these occasions – pre-breakfast, pre-workout or post-workout.
E) Pea Protein
What is it?
Besides soy protein, pea protein is another familiar plant based protein supplement. It is free from gluten and lactose. It is made by extracting the soluble pea protein from yellow split peas.
What does it do?
Surprisingly, pea protein is quite rich in leucine content. Leucine is one of the three essential amino acids responsible for optimizing muscle growth. Because pea protein is a cholesterol-free and fat-free supplement, it is a great protein powder choice for people under certain dietary restrictions. However, only a handful of studies has shown pea protein to benefit muscle gains in healthy individuals.
How to use it?
Instead of relying completely on pea protein, I would suggest you to use it once in a while alongside your whey protein shake to rip the benefits of both the protein powders.
F) Hemp Protein
What is it?
Hemp Protein is a plant-based protein powder obtained from the hemp plant. Unlike other plant-based protein, hemp protein is loaded with lots of carbs.
What does it do?
As such there aren’t enough reasons to opt hemp protein over other protein powders on this list. It is because hemp protein is sports high carbohydrate content and contains only 50% of protein by weight which is quite less compared to soy and pea protein.
How to use it?
Unless you are a die-hard vegan and you have a lot of cash to spend on supplements, I won’t recommend using hemp protein as much as every other protein mentioned in the article.
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