Protein Supplement Guide

It’s time for another visitor question here on Protein Supplement Guide! Thanks to Robert Mendelton for sending us this question in:

“What is the best type of whey protein to build muscle mass? Whey protein isolate, whey protein blends, or whey protein concentrate?”

This is a good question, a question I hear and over and over, and read constantly on bodybuilding and fitness forums. The short answer is, all of them are the same. That’s right, cheaper whey protein concentrate has exactly the same muscle building potential as pure whey protein isolate.

To date, there has been no studies showing that whey protein isolate has better bioavailablily, digestion or absorption as it’s lower quality counterpart whey protein concentrate. You’re probably thinking, why should I spend more money and get a protein blend or a protein isolate over a concentrate? We’ll, it depends on your goals.

The main advantage whey protein isolate has over concentrate is that it contains more whey per serving, and less calories. This means you get more for less. This is especially important if you want to limit your fat intake or you’re cutting down for a competition, photo shoot, or just for the summer.

Personally, I’d pay the extra few dollars for a good isolate protein supplement. The powder is finer, it mixes better (in my experience), it’s more watery and less filling, and you get about 2-5g more protein per scoop. For me, that’s worth the extra cash. But if you’re on a budget, bulking, and don’t mind the extra calories, the you’ll get the same muscle building effects from a concentrate or blend as you’d get from a pure whey protein isolate.

Any questions? Post them below and I’ll be more than happy to answer them!