By Matthew Fitchie

You’re looking to build muscle. You’ve set out a training regime, consulted YouTube for some beginner tips and without fail, you’ve bought some form of protein supplement. The relentless marketing campaign has paid off! You like so many others have fallen submissive to the words ’25 grams per serving! No added sugar!’. The question is, have you ever wondered whether the food you’re eating is actually benefiting you?

To preface this I have nothing against healthy protein supplements, I used to use protein powder and still eat protein bars. This article is designed instead to function as a guide surrounding what ingredients you should avoid when purchasing protein as well as other scientifically-backed advice towards protein consumption.

              Whey vs Casein:

Anyone interested in protein powder is aware of the unending debate between taking Whey or Casein. Both forms of protein are derived from cow’s milk, both can be mixed into milk or water, both aid muscle growth. A major advertising point of Whey is the leucine content: a branch chain amino acid that is vital in muscle growth and recovery. Whey has a higher leucine content than Casein hence is the best powder to consume immediately after an intense muscle workout as this will most effectively optimize muscle growth. Casein on the other hand takes longer to digest than Whey and is more concerned with preventing muscle damage therefore can be optimized by taking at any point on the day that you exercise. Experts would recommend that you vary which form of protein you consume to both optimize growth and prevent damage, however, let’s assume you’re not working with that kind of budget. In this case my recommendation would be to use Whey protein powder as it is the best powder for maximising muscle growth.

              Whey vs Plant Protein

In 2014 a study by academics from the medical university of Vienna and the University of Bern concluded that the Roman gladiators were mostly vegetarian, consuming the majority of their protein from grain. Even the cows we gain our protein from eat plants. Why don’t we?

Plant protein can be derived from various sources including soy, pea and brown rice. For the purposes of this article, I’m going to focus on Huel’s plant-based protein powder both as this is complete (contains all 9 amino acids that you need to get from food) and I am the most familiar with it. Similar to Whey, Huel’s brand of plant protein powder has a high leucine content. Furthermore, both powders are around 110 kcal per serving and taste relatively similar. The major advantage of plant protein powders such as the Huel powder is the vitamin and mineral contents. Huel plant protein powder contains 26 vitamins and minerals, a number matched by no Whey protein powder brand I could find. However, many argue that Whey protein is the superior powder as it contains almost double the amount of amino acids that the Huel powder contains. In my opinion this ultimately comes down to personal preference and I would suggest that you base your choice of powder on which of these elements is most lacking in your diet. In saying this, I should also point out that most brands of Whey protein powder are ~20% less expensive than their plant-based alternatives.

              Verdict on Protein Shakes

If your preference is to purchase preprepared protein shakes, my advice is simple: pick brands that contain very few ingredients. The best brands will contain only protein powder, milk, water, stabilisers, vitamins and minerals and a sweetener. It is to be said however that preprepared protein shakes are simply a more expensive alternative to using protein powder, hence use protein powder where possible.

              Protein Bars vs Actual Protein

If it is possible you should aim to maximise your consumption of lean meat, eggs and fish as these contain far less sugar and fat than protein bars whilst containing additional nutritional benefits such as omega-3s from fish. As it is, consuming a high amount of processed protein bars daily isn’t as beneficial to your health as it seems. Your body requires far more calories to break down protein from sources such as chicken than it does to break down many protein bars due to their highly processed nature. Furthermore, brands of protein bar such as ‘Kind Protein’ can in theory cause health problems including high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol due to their highly processed nature, however it is to be noted that this risk is minimal if you are eating just one bar a day. Ultimately, if you are looking to both maintain a high protein diet and receive many nutrients and antioxidants your best option is snacking on nuts. Beyond this I’d recommend buying nut protein bars as these are often less processed whilst also providing the nutritional benefits of nuts.

              Ingredients to Avoid if buying protein bars

• Sugar, sucrose or high fructose corn syrup – Evidence suggests that these sugar substitutes are no better for you than table sugar
• Palm or kernel oil – These oils are high in saturated fats which raise your cholesterol
• Trans and Saturated fats – These both lower ‘good’ cholesterol and raise ‘bad’ cholesterol

Brands I’d recommend given the above information (Ranked by price)

Protein Powders/Shakes

• Decathlon Whey Protein Powder
• Huel Complete Protein Powder
• For Goodness Shake Protein Shakes
• U Fit Protein Shakes

                           Protein Bar Brands

• Fibre One protein bars
• Fulfil vitamin and protein bars
• PhD smart protein bars
• Grenade protein bars

Protein Rich Snacks

• Nuts: Almonds, Peanuts etc (aim to buy flavoured nuts not salted nuts as eating a high quantity of salt raises your blood pressure)
• Co-op chicken bites
• Greek yoghurt