Yo,
We’ve got time today, so let’s do a check in. Have you guys been having a good day? Has life been treating you well? Have you done something productive today?
Whatever it may be, I hope ya’ll have been doing good and are striving to be resilient and strong. Well done if you’ve done the productive task for today and if not, right after this (or even better, right now) get to it.
So we’ve already gone through the protein powder ingredients to avoid. Therefore, today we will be going through what I believe, are the best protein powder ingredients.
In a market where majority of companies and manufacturers wish to maximise profit, which I guess is understandble since they’re a business, it’s quite necessary to gain an understanding of what ingredients are ideal.
Again I’d like to reiterate, we are talking about what is going into OUR BODIES, so of course it’s important we have a basic understanding of what we’re feeding our bodies.
Now, I know a lot of people who read this may hold the belief that as long as the protein is high, that is what matters. Truth be told, I was like this until around 6 months ago.
“What’s the protein amount?”
“Sugar is high? Don’t care what’s the protein?”
“Protein isn’t high enough. Leave it”
However, I guess this is what people call ‘maturing’ in the context of fitness. You begin to shift your focus from what is ‘seemingly’ important, to what is actually important.
Now, let’s get into it.
Often the best is less. The best ingredients are less ingredients
Did it catch you off guard, the statement just above?
I sure hope it did, because this is the most important thing we’ll be going through today.
Just think about this for a second. Protein powder is a supplement that is used to fill in the gaps of your required protein goal.
Almost all of you are consuming protein powder, not mass gainers, but PROTEIN powders for that reason, no?
I highly doubt that You’re consuming it to top up on sugar, carbs, fats. Am I right?
I doubt any of you think “ah yes, on top of protein, I can get some extra carbs and fats right?”
…
Thought so.
Therefore, would it not make sense to seek a protein powder that has the least amount of ingredients and is primarily the protein source?
This is the approach that I now take with my protein powders. I aim to research reputable manufacturer, taking into consideration and price, and then look at the ingredients. I try to find a protein powder that has minimal ingredients.
Lo and behold, I’ve found one and it actually has one ingredient.
I’ll say it again.
….
ONE ingredient.
Indeed my friends. The only ingredient on the back is “whey protein isolate [Milk]”. Now the reason it’s one is because of a few reasons. The reasons are that I chose a raw protein powder and that the manufacturers simply don’t use that many ingredients.
I’m not telling you to find a protein powder with only one ingredient because quite frankly, it tastes quite bland when you first start drinking it, but over time it gets better.
This is just my personal preference.
Plus, when you choose protein powders with minimal ingredients, you reduce the risk of you putting questionable ingredients in your body. It also saves you time since you don’t have to research any of the ingredients.
Creatine
I’m sure you’ve all heard of creatine before. I’ve never taken it myself, but that’s no reason to take it. It’s among the most researched supplements on the market, however, let’s give a brief rundown of what it is.
Creatine itself is an amino acid, which is mostly located in your muscles and the brain. It can be found in meat and fish (so you’re likely already consuming some creatine through your diet). We won’t go into too much depth today, but instead, we’ll focus primarily on the benefits.
Creatine has been found (according to numerous research and studies) to improve strength, and explosiveness, and increase muscle mass and overall training performance.
Remember, it’s a supplement and it won’t magically grant you kgs upon kgs of muscle, but it may contribute to the growth.
My protein powder does not have creatine, but it would be nice if it did. I haven’t found many protein powders with creatine in it, but it’s certainly something to look out for.
Understanding
There is a distinction we should not overlook.
In the past, we’ve gone over protein powder ingredients that you’d want to avoid. It’s not the end of the world if you do have protein powders with those ingredients, but bearing in mind that they are healthier options is good. Today, we went into ingredients that you’d want to have, not that you HAVE to have.
Additionally, I would expect some of you to potentially be disappointed at the short ingredient list today.
However, I didn’t want to find some random ingredients and put them in this list and waste your time (we all hate reading things that turned out to not be helpful).
We went over two things, that less can be best and creatine is an ingredient you’d want.
There’s only so much that you can do with protein powders. That’s what I want you all to understand. At the end of the day, the magic starts with you, not the products and supplements.
Conclusion
So, we covered that the best ingredients can be less ingredients. Moreover, that creatine is an ideal ingredient that you’d want in your protein powders.
At the end of the day, we’re dealing with protein powders, not magic powders. There is only so much that you can do and I don’t want you all to feel the need that pick THE BEST protein powder (the best for everyone doesn’t even exist anyway, it’s dependant on the )on the market is absolutely essential.
I apologise for not providing you all with over 3 “best” ingredients, but this is just what I’ve gathered from researching and is my opinion. I’m a fellow gym bro, like yourself, who wishes to get better.
Alright, thanks for reading and I’ll see you all next time. Go crush the rest of your day!
