If you've been to a supplement store lately you may be wondering where all the different kinds of protein supplements came from. In fact, you may find yourself buying the cheapest protein possible no matter what type of protein it is.

Don't let the salesman fool you into buying the newest "extended release" protein or the protein that will get you to gain 8.4 pounds in 14 days. You need to know what you're putting in your body and I'm going to tell you how to figure out what's best for you!

Post-Workout Protein (WHEY)
If you're looking to supplement your protein right after your workout you want to get one kind of protein and one kind only. This protein digests in as little as 30 minutes and allows you to take full advantage of the two-hour "anabolic window" post-workout. This protein is indeed whey protein.

Whey protein was one of the first supplemental proteins to hit the market back in the day and has been the top choice of bodybuilders ever since Arnold did his first bench press. Whey is extracted from milk as it is turned into cheese. Ever heard of little miss muffet eating her curds and whey?

Think about the benefits she'd have gotten if she picked up the weights! Another added benefit of supplementing whey is that it has a high bio availability. This means that whey is more so absorbed into the body than it is thrown out as waste. The most bio available kind of whey protein is whey protein isolate (WPI). Whey protein isolate is superior to all kinds of whey including the common, whey protein concentrate (WPC).

Whey-iso will also cause you to have far less gas than you would with other forms of whey, and we all appreciate that! Whey is also good for other times of the day. Never forget that this is the only kind of protein you want post-workout as it will give you maximal protein replenishment during the anabolic window.

Pre-Bedtime Protein (CASEIN)
We all need protein before we hit the hay at night. While nighttime can bring about muscle repair, it can bring about catabolism (the non-growth of muscles) without proper protein supplementation. We don't want to use whey here because normally people sleep for a good 6-9 hours a night.

In this case, people simply do not wake up to feed their muscles when in need of protein supplementation. Let's face it, we're not all so dedicated to the point where we'll wake up every two hours and drink 40-60 grams of whey protein. This is why I recommend a casein protein. Casein protein is a slow digesting protein that will take anywhere from 6-8 hours to fully digest.

As the night goes on little by little your body is absorbing the casein protein. Casein is also found in cow's milk and actually makes up about 80% of the milk while whey makes up the other 20%. There are three kinds of caseins proteins (micellar and calcium caseinate; as well as milk protein isolate). Micellar caseinate and milk protein isolate are the two best forms of caseinate and calcium caseinate is the lowest quality caseinate.

This is due to the bio availability of the proteins. Most bodybuilders will agree, you should not supplement anything but casein protein before bed. Although you may not get your 60 grams every two hours, you will still get a steady feed of protein to prevent muscle breakdown until you wake up in the morning and eat your first meal.

The Woman's and Vegan's Ideal Protein (SOY)
I'm going to start out by saying that all forms of protein are beneficial to women. However; men may not be in the same group when it comes to proteins. The protein extracted from soy beans, soy protein, is said to be slightly related to estrogen production in the body.

Whereas men enjoy benefits from elevated testosterone, women enjoy benefits from elevated estrogen. Soy protein is also good for vegan's who will not consume anything from an animal. While soy protein won't have men developing breasts in almost any quantity consumed, it can be a good protein to supplement if you're a male vegan.

Soy protein falls short in the bio availability category to it's whey and casein relatives, but it is still a fast digesting protein that can benefit someone post-workout. Soy is also more effective in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels.

If you're on the unhealthy side of the spectrum, soy protein may be a good place to start. Where some people may find themselves allergic to milk derived protein, a very small percentage of people are allergic to soy. It may not be the best protein supplement but it is effective and fast digesting. If you're allergic to whey, I would recommend soy post-workout. Overall, it's a decent quality protein.



The Highest Bio Available Protein (EGG)
Do you have times where you are going to supplement protein and then have between 3-4 hours until your next meal? If you're in need of a somewhat slow digesting protein for this period of time I recommend getting an egg protein. Egg protein is derived from egg whites and has an even higher bio availability than whey protein.

You may be thinking, if it's more bio available than whey protein, why am I not supplementing egg protein post-workout? The main reason is that you need to get the protein digested into your bloodstream in less than two hours. Egg protein takes anywhere from 2-4 hours to fully digest. It's a great protein to supplement if you're going to school for three hours and can't get a meal in before you go. I like to take egg proteins with me when I know I won't have enough time to eat when I'm busy because I know it will cover me for a good duration of time.

Egg protein is okay to use post-workout but you may find your gains are lesser than if you used whey. If it's far cheaper than whey protein (which it usually isn't) then go for the egg protein if you're under a budget. It's an intermediate between whey and casein with a high bio availability. Old-school bodybuilder's used this the most as they saw positive benefits from it's efficient absorption. That's egg protein in a nutshell.

Be the Smart Consumer
Are you lured to a certain protein supplement because it claims "60 grams per serving"? Look a little closer and you may be shocked at what you see. Hopefully you catch this blunder before you go home with a purchased product. Do not judge protein supplements by the listed amount of protein per serving but by the total amount of servings?

For example, at 60 grams per serving for 15 total servings you would be better off with a product with 30 grams per serving with 40 total servings. If the 30 gram per serving product was taken in 60 gram servings it would have five more servings than the first tub that boasts it has 60 grams of protein per serving. If the prices are similar and this proves to be a good buy for you then you may find yourself maximizing the amount of protein you get per purchase.

Many people buy their protein based on the amount listed per single serving. If you buy this way you may end up getting ripped off. This is even more prevalent in "mass gainer" proteins. Even though a product may come in a 5 lb. jug you may be getting only as low as 8 servings per container. Be aware of how much protein you are actually buying!

The Final Word on Protein Supplements
You're ready to purchase the proteins that are best for you! As a final tip I would like to advise you to stay away from extended release proteins that combine multiple proteins together into one tub. Why would you not want to purchase this? Extended release proteins may be able to combine egg, whey, casein, and other kinds of protein but there's one big problem with them.

They never list how much of each protein is accounted for in a serving. They only list the total amount of protein per serving. You may find that you're getting about 5 grams of the high quality (more expensive) proteins such as egg and milk protein isolate, but the other 20 grams per serving is mostly whey protein concentrate (a cheap and hard to digest protein).

Stick with knowing the exact amount of each type of protein you're putting into your body. It may be tempting to buy proteins that say they will cover you for up to "12 hours". In the end your body will benefit more from sticking to the basics: whey or soy post-workout, egg for the longer periods between meals, and casein for the shake before bed. Do this and you will maximize your protein consumption. And when all is said and done, there's always food for those other times of day.