Protein drinks are important for repairing muscle tissue after exercise. They can contain a variety of supplements and types of protein, including whey, soy, and casein. Whey protein is the most common and is available in isolate and concentrate forms. Casein protein digests slowly and is good for overnight use. Soy protein is often used by vegetarians and lactose intolerant individuals. Taste and mixability are important factors when choosing a protein drink.
Protein has long been recognized as the building block of muscle tissue and is necessary to repair tissue damaged during strenuous exercise. Protein drinks are an efficient and inexpensive means of consuming protein on a daily basis, especially for weight lifters and athletes who must maintain a high protein diet. Many protein drinks combine a variety of supplements into a single mix, while others offer a very pure form of whey, soy, or casein protein. When choosing the right protein drink, most people look at what type of protein is used, the flavor, and how well it mixes.
The word protein itself is something of a loose term, encompassing a virtually unlimited number of individual molecule chains. Proteins, peptides, and polypeptides, which share similar and often overlapping definitions, are made up of amino acids. Amino acids are the actual molecules that the body uses to build and repair muscle tissue. There are 22 types of amino acids required by the human body, eight of which are essential, which means that the body cannot synthesize them from other sources. Essential amino acids must be obtained daily from food sources and must be included in any type of protein drink mix.
The vast majority of protein drink mixes are made from whey protein and include all 22 amino acids. The exact amino acid profile is usually listed in the container below the nutrition facts. Of the three most common types of protein (whey, soy, and casein), whey is the most commonly available due to its low cost of production and desirable qualities.
Whey protein is available in two forms: isolate and concentrate. Of the two, the concentrate is more common and generally contains 70-90% protein by weight, with the remainder making up a variety of ingredients, including lactose, fat, sugar, and undenatured protein. Whey protein isolate is typically 90-96% protein by weight and removes most non-protein ingredients to create a low calorie protein drink.
Unlike whey protein, casein occurs naturally in most dairy products. While whey protein digests very quickly, casein digests much more slowly over a period of six to eight hours. Due to the low rate of digestion of casein, it makes an excellent overnight protein drink as it provides the body with a constant supply of protein during sleep. Casein protein is available in concentrates and isolates as well as whey, and contains many of the same ingredients.
Soy protein is derived from soy proteins and is most commonly used by vegetarians and lactose intolerant individuals. Soy protein is sometimes considered unattractive to men because it contains estrogen-like compounds found in many plants. Regardless of common misconceptions, these compounds have no measurable effect on testosterone levels in men or women due to the trace amounts found in protein drink mixes. Numerous studies have shown that even high levels of this compound have little to no effect on hormone levels and may even slightly increase testosterone levels.
Two of the most important aspects of a particular protein drink are not available on the label: taste and mixability. If a protein drink doesn’t taste good, a person will be much less likely to take it as needed, so a good flavor mix is important. Another important aspect is mixability, or how well the powder mixes with water or milk. Many people require their protein to be spoon mixable, meaning it can be mixed in a regular cup with just a spoon without clumping, while others use special protein drink shakers with lids and some sort of breaking device. the pieces when shaken. . If the protein powder clumps up when using a protein blender, it is likely a low-quality protein. For a well-mixed protein drink, regardless of quality or thickness, a blender can be used.
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