Half the effort that goes into getting a gym body is geared towards nutrition. If you aren’t doing it this way, chances are you aren’t doing it right, regardless of the goal you have in mind. If you plan to lose weight, you aim at a diet; if you plan to gain and build, you will seek to eat more than you can usually lose. At the core of all this, counting calories lies within. And although your efforts should include all classes of food (including fluids), your protein intake would be very important to the journey. 

Proteins are very extensive in utility; they serve a lot of purposes to the average human being. When incorporated into a workout, they become a force to be reckoned with, a sort-of-magical way to achieve your goals. They are bulky, though, and cannot always be eaten – no trainer or expert would advise you to eat a whole piece of steak immediately before or after a workout. It would help if you had something more compact… something like protein powders.

Which protein powders for which workouts?

Protein powders are reliable supplements that one can use to ensure a balanced protein diet and calorie intake. The choices are limitless, so naturally, people do get confused about the ones to pick and use in their workout journey. 

Although you can use whole foods to reach your goals, you’re going to have a harder time controlling the intake. A few protein powders you can use include;

Whey Protein Powder

Whey protein powder is essentially the most versatile protein powder you can use in your workout journey. It is made from whey, one of the watery byproducts of milk from when cheese is being made. Whey protein powder is one of the most popular protein powders, and it’s not because it tastes better than the others (you would be shocked to find out some people actually pick their protein powders based on which of them tastes better). 

To understand why whey protein is so popular, you need to understand what essential amino acids are. These are amino acids that are very important to the body but aren’t able to be synthesised by the system using protein synthesis. Because of this, they have to be gotten from external sources through intake and diet. Whey protein powders contain all essential amino acids and are, therefore, a solid way to attain these amino acids. 

Whey proteins contain a group of eight special proteins needed for growth. These proteins include immunoglobulin, lactoferrin, B-lactoglobulin, lactoperoxidase, A-lactalbumin, Bovine serum albumin, glycomacropeptide, and lysozyme. 

There are various studies on the effects of consuming whey protein before and after your workout. Whey proteins are essential for;

  • Muscle building

They contain branched chains of amino acids that are important for the synthesis of muscular tissue.

  • Muscle recovery

When you work out, your muscles get put under stress. Taking whey proteins just before or after workouts would help you recover by healing tissue

  • Gaining weight

As whey proteins help you build and recover, they also help you to add more weight, all of it being muscle, provided you are channelling your workout in the right direction.

Whey proteins also give energy and manage stress levels. It is also the most easily digested protein powder. 

Soy Protein Powder

Soy protein powder is made from soy protein which is gotten from soybeans. As a nutritional choice, it is a very reliable way to get proteins from your diet, especially if you live a vegetarian lifestyle. Many people consider it a rich replacement for animal proteins. In the process of making it, it is usually dehulled (the shell of the soybean is removed before processing) and defatted/degreased (the excess fatty acid in the bean is removed also). It is also one of the cheapest protein supplements you can find. Like whey protein powders, soy protein powders also have so many benefits. These include;

  • It lowers your cholesterol

There are two types of cholesterol in the body; High-density lipids (HDL) and Low density lipids (LDL). Succinctly put, LDL is the “bad” type of cholesterol. Soy protein helps to reduce the amount of LDL in the body without affecting HDL.

  • It bolsters muscle growth

Like most proteins do, consuming soy proteins would also increase the amount of muscle you grow during your workouts. It’s not as easily digested as whey protein, but it’ll do the job quite well.

  • It lowers predisposition to certain diseases

Soy proteins help to prevent heart diseases, osteoporosis, and cancer. It is also known to ease menopausal symptoms like calcium loss.

Brown Rice Protein

Brown rice protein is another type of protein that is good for people with a vegetarian lifestyle. It is also gluten-free, so it is one of the most accessible proteins to people with autoimmune diseases like celiac disease. People who also want to avoid GIT inconsistencies would find it an awesome choice. Benefits of using it include:

  • It helps to burn fat,
  • It helps weight loss,
  • It is hypoallergenic,
  • It aids muscle recovery, etc

Pea Protein

Pea protein powder is another vegetarian choice on the menu. It is made from the crushing of yellow peas, which are then ground into a fine powder and packaged. It also contains all nine essential amino acids. Like brown rice protein, it is hypoallergenic. As a protein source for people who do workouts;

  • It helps to recover muscles
  • It aids lean muscle mass and strength
  • It boosts metabolism
  • It helps bone density

Which Protein Powders Are Best For Which Workouts

  • For building muscle, you are to pick a protein powder that has a high protein content. Whey proteins are obviously the best choice.
  • To save money, pick protein powders rather than protein shakes. You would get more protein content for your price. 
  • To keep with vegan lifestyles, vegan protein powders are best for you. Pea protein powder, brown rice protein powders and soy protein powders are just some of the choices you could explore.
  • To ease up on kidney disease, choose proteins that aren’t high in content. Your kidney is one of the major processors, so overloading it with proteins would make it develop issues. 
  • To lose weight, protein powders with no sugars, branched-chain amino acids, etc., are best. These would increase your weight rather than reduce it. 

If you are looking for a place to get awesome whey protein powders in Australia, check out our brand, Goals By Steve. Visit our site and contact us today to make your order.