If you read the first part of our guide to proteins, then you know the basics and are well-equipped to start your research into what protein is right for you. But what about the plethora of different brands and products out there?
We’ve already brought you our guide to protein shakes a few days back, covering all the basics of what you need to know. However, as we hinted at just there, those are the basics, and there are still a whole bunch of things to consider when you walk in to get yourself supplements. For example, what’s the best brand? Which company can I trust when it comes to ingredients and quality? Which one tastes the best?
Well, not to worry, because along with our friends at Bodyfirst Nutrition, we’ve had a look across a number of different categories to find the best of the best when it comes to taste, mix, and the right fit for your goal. The experts at Bodyfirst have sampled the lot, and they give us the skinny on what you should be looking for if you want to make sure you’ve got this whole nutrition thing sorted.
Best Value
Blue label whey from Ros Nutrition
Expert’s Opinion: It’s really high quality for around the market average price, and they give you a good ingredient breakdown so you know what’s going into it.
Gold Standard Whey from Optimum Nutrition
Expert’s Opinion: Another contender in this category is Optimum Nutrition because they’re pretty much the industry standard when it comes to supplements. Their whey won product of the year in 2012-13 and the company scooped a whole load of other awards too, so this is trust-worthy stuff. It’s also linked with almost all the major rugby teams, and if it’s good enough for them, then we trust it.
Best Taste
Gold Standard Whey from Optimum Nutrition
Expert’s Opinion: This is a difficult one because taste is pretty subjective. In general, sticking to chocolate and vanilla is a good call since strawberry can be hard to recreate synthetically and it ends up being very sweet. Chocolate mint is one of the most popular flavours that we stock because it’s something classic with a refreshing twist.
The ON range comes in a huge number of flavours however, so if you’re looking for something a bit weird, you can try Tropical Punch, which tastes a bit like a Fruit Punch bar.
Just remember that with the flavours that are a bit more 'out there' it's a nice change at first, but it can get to be a bit much, so you might want to mix it up every now and then with something different.
Best Mix/Consistency:
Whey Iso + from Platinum Nutrition
Expert’s Opinion: There are very few proteins out there that don’t mix well anymore. Back in the day there were problems with clumping and stuff, but nowadays you barely even need the grid in the shaker anymore, most of the good brands will work perfectly without one. Isolised protein will always mix better however, and Platinum Nutrition is a small Irish brand who make a great product.
When it comes to mix, the thicker the shake is the more likely it is that they’re using something cheap in there to bulk it up, so if this is your concern then the more expensive brands are the way to go.
Best for Cutting
ISO 100 Dymatize
Expert’s Opinion: A quality hydrolised protein is going to be the best option if you’re looking to cut weight as it has pretty much no sugar and no fat in it. This is basically the Rolls Royce of Protein, and is worth that little bit extra.
Hydro Whey from Optimum Nutrition
Expert’s Opinion: Again, Optimum nutrition are popping up a lot in this list but they really are one of the best out there. Their Hydro Whey is a great product if you’re looking to cut weight, but remember that the rest of the work has to be done in the kitchen too!
Best for Gains
USN Muscle Fuel Anabolic
Expert's Opinion: If you want gains then you should look to take a shake post-workout that contains carbs. When you train, you burn the glycogen stores in your muscles, and carbs will replenish them. Some gummy bears or something similar will help to spike your insulin after a hard training session (pretty much the only time you want that insulin spike) or you can take a powdered carb like dextrose or maltodextrin.
If you don't want that, then USN's Muscle Fuel is a great lean gainer that's really convenient, and what I would recommend to anyone coming in who says their goal is to gain muscle. Taking this post-workout will make sure that you make lean gains, as it has a good breakdown of carbs and protein, around 75g to 50g respectively. You're not going to gain fat with this!
That's the list for now, but be sure to check out Bodyfirst Nutrition for all the products listed above, or head along to their store to chat to the lads if you have more questions. Keep an eye out on the Man Cave too for plenty more features on nutrition, supplements and workouts.
