Best protein powders for muscle gain?

slydriver52 said:Don't just grab whatever. Seriously, please don't give out advice like that...
If you've got Gold Standard from Optimum Nutrition or some EAS whey, stick with those.
If you're watching your wallet, go with Twinlab. You could also try Olimp; they mix really well and probably have the least artificial sweeteners since it tastes kind of bland... which is usually a sign of good quality. Cytosport is huge here in the States—their Muscle Milk is everywhere, though that's not pure whey. They do have pure stuff, but I wouldn't bother because it's overpriced. Just like EAS, Cytosport carries that NSF certification for quality control.
http://eas.com/pro-certified/nsf
Stay away from Dymatize (maybe their natural whey if you can find it, the ingredients actually surprised me and it uses stevia instead of fake sweeteners, but even then, the protein percentage and the concentrate-to-isolate ratio seem iffy based on how it mixes in milk)...
Avoid Universal Nutrition too. They're famous mostly for their animal products and used to be big on amino acids, but their protein quality is questionable. Their BCAA capsules? Total disaster.
Labrada is way too expensive for what you actually get, and Weider is basically just paying for a famous name while getting lower quality products at crazy prices.
Muscletech gets all the hype, but you aren't getting any extra quality for the premium price they charge, same goes for BSN.
Personally, I'd go with Optimum, EAS, or Olimp (if you don't mind that slightly bland taste), because I've used them and they've always been solid...

And let me know if you end up getting an extra 72.57284 grams compared to the others... 🤣 🤣

Emily Moore47 said:Go ahead and let them know if they’re actually going to walk away with an extra 72.57 grams compared to everyone else. 🤣 🤣

I told the guy to stop getting lost in the supplement jungle. Why would I hand my cash over to someone selling a pile of garbage disguised as powder when you can get actual quality for the exact same price?

slydriver52 said:I told the guy he shouldn't get lost in the supplement jungle. Why waste cash on junk filled with filler when you can grab the good stuff for the same price?

With those three, it doesn't matter what he picks. No real difference in results, just the price tag...

Alright, let's throw a little question out there just to see how much you guys actually know about proteins...
I'm looking for some gluten-free protein options for my wife—she's currently in a cutting phase—and I really want something unflavored. I'm trying to steer clear of all those artificial sweeteners and fake flavors you find in everything these days.
Anyone have any good ideas?

Betty Williams91 said:Let me throw a question out there to see how much you guys actually know about protein...
I need gluten-free protein for my wife (she’s in a cutting phase). I want it unflavored because I can't stand artificial sweeteners or fake flavors in these things.
Any ideas?

That’s a tricky one. People claim soy contains gluten, and plenty of powders use soy as a filler. In theory, whey should be gluten-free, but cross-contamination is a massive issue. Most facilities that process whey are also churning out all sorts of other blends on the same equipment.

http://biprousa.com/

I did a quick search for you, though you could easily do the same thing yourself......................

soy is actually gluten-free...

Betty Williams91 said:Soy is gluten-free...

I read somewhere that it does contain some, but I put that in quotes just like I did before to indicate it's hearsay.

Betty Williams91 said:Let me throw out a question just to see how much you guys actually know about proteins...
I'm looking for some gluten-free protein options for my wife—she's in her cutting phase right now—but I really need them to be unflavored. I'm trying to stay away from all those artificial sweeteners and weird fake flavors in everything these days.
Any ideas at all?

Yeah—honestly, your best bet is probably just to Google some numbers and then call up two or three major supplement distributors here in the States.

-briskjackal5

Shoot me a DM if you're interested.

slydriver52 said:I think I saw somewhere that they exist, but honestly, it was all just "so-called" stuff, kind of like how I phrased it.

briskjackal5 said:Yeah—your best bet is to just Google those numbers and then give two or three major protein distributors here in the States a call.

-briskjackal5

Well, aren't you guys some kind of experts...🤣

And no, soy doesn't have gluten. Soy, in its pure form—it's gluten-free.

Betty Williams91 said:Look at you, the absolute experts here. 🤣

And no, soy doesn't contain gluten. Soy by itself—zero.

I’m not entirely sure what kind of profound poetry you were aiming for there, but if that satisfies your ego, be my guest......................

Forget about asking for favors. I have no interest in doing anyone any favors, especially people like you. You could have used me to snag a discount on that whey
http://www.gatorade.com/?page_id=3...product_id=412
But since your only goal was to be provocative, go ahead and pay the premium price. :-)
By all means, enlighten us, since we clearly know absolutely nothing.🤦

Thanks for offering to help me out, regardless of 🙂
Let’s just hit the reset button here. Even though I actually found what I was looking for, so this calm vibe isn't some play for a discount or anything. I just really don't want to get into a big old argument on this forum 🙂
First off, I'm a woman
Secondly, I specifically asked for protein powder tailored for women
Thirdly, I can't touch gluten, which is why I requested gluten-free options

I honestly thought there might be a bit more expertise regarding protein powders here, but I've realized that isn't quite the case. Or rather, you know your stuff, but only strictly what you personally use—nothing beyond that bubble. You have to understand, once you told me that soy might or might not contain gluten, it became clear you aren't an expert on gluten itself. And if that's the case, you can't really offer solid advice on gluten-free proteins, right?
And that second bit of "advice" I got was basically just to Google it :?! (and no, I'm not talking about you)
Look, I know how to use Google, but the whole reason I'm asking here is because I figured someone might actually know better than a search engine!

It seems everyone is trying to act like an expert on this subject, but I’ve been doing some digging myself. I spent some time searching for information regarding gluten, looking through various lists of foods that contain it versus those that don't. It appears that almost all dairy products are naturally gluten-free, which leads me to believe that any whey protein should be perfectly fine to consume. Since whey is derived from milk, and milk itself doesn't contain gluten, you can essentially pick up whichever whey protein catches your eye and drink it without a second thought.

Let’s skip the unsolicited lectures and leave all that nonsense about gluten out of this conversation.
It really only takes about two minutes to wrap your head around all of this, provided you bring a little bit of common sense to the table.

Personally, I find the best 🙂

Betty Williams91 said:Thanks for even offering to help me out, regardless of 🙂
Look, let's just reset here. I actually managed to find what I was looking for, so my being all nice isn't because I'm hunting for a discount or anything! I just really don't want to get into a huge argument on this forum, 🙂
first off, I'm a woman
secondly, I specifically asked for protein made for women
thirdly, I can't have any gluten, which is why I needed gluten-free options

Well, why didn't you just say so? I've got plenty of protein for women right here... 😁

Betty Williams91, if you had just listened to what I told you, you would've had your answers in like three minutes flat. There’s a reason you were told exactly what you heard...

-Stipe

Betty Williams91 said:I appreciate you offering to do me a favor, regardless of 🙂
Let’s just reset this conversation. Even though I found what I was looking for, my conciliatory tone isn't some play for a discount. I simply have no interest in bickering on an internet forum. 🙂
First off, I am female.
Secondly, I specifically asked for protein formulated for women.
Thirdly, I cannot consume gluten, which is why I requested gluten-free options.

I assumed there was a higher level of expertise here regarding protein, but clearly, that's a misconception. You might know your stuff, but only within the narrow confines of what you personally use. Think about it: the moment you suggested soy might or might not contain gluten, you proved you don't actually understand gluten. Consequently, you aren't in any position to offer advice on gluten-free proteins.
And the other "advice" I received was to just Google it—not from you, obviously.
Look, I know how to use Google. The reason I ask questions here is because I assume someone actually knows more than the average person.

My advice? Stick exclusively to products that explicitly state "gluten-free" on the label. Why would they bother labeling whey that way if it weren't necessary? Enlighten me, since apparently, none of us know anything. I know which foods contain gluten, but that's irrelevant to my question. As I mentioned before, I read somewhere online that soy might contain it, but I'm not claiming that as absolute fact.
You live and learn. 😉
To be blunt, I don't claim to be a walking encyclopedia of supplements; I just happen to use them and sell them, and I've been in the industry for over a decade. Honestly, nobody has ever posed this specific question to me before. It’s actually a valid question because it made me stop and look into it myself. However, it would never occur to me to seek out advice only to turn around and belittle the person giving it. That’s ungrateful and unprofessional, but that's your prerogative.

rustyowl4 said:Stop acting like you're all geniuses here... I just Googled gluten (2.link), looked up the food lists, and basically found out that dairy products are almost entirely gluten-free > which means any whey protein works fine, so just grab whatever whey you see since it comes from milk—and milk doesn't have gluten.

-Cut the lecturing; this isn't about deep expertise or some complex theory.
-It takes two minutes of effort if you actually use your brain.

Nobody is "acting smart." You can't just tell someone to grab a random whey if they might have a gluten allergy unless you are absolutely certain it’s safe. For people with those sensitivities, the label has to explicitly state it's gluten-free so the manufacturer can actually guarantee the product is "clean."
Do you honestly think the powder you buy is nothing but pure whey?
Depending on the brand, there's all kinds of filler junk in there.
Do you really think manufacturers slap a "gluten-free" label on their whey for no reason?
Usually, you'll see that label on isolates and hydrolysates, whereas with those concentrate and isolate blends, I couldn't tell you for sure—and frankly, I don't care enough to find out.

slydriver52 said:Do you honestly believe that the protein powder you pick up at the store consists solely of pure whey?
Depending on which brand you choose, you might find all sorts of filler mixed in there.
Do you really think random manufacturers slap a "gluten-free" label on their products for no reason?
Usually, that kind of claim is reserved for isolates and hydrolysates, whereas I’m not entirely sure about the blends of concentrates and isolates—not that it's my primary concern.

Well, obviously it isn't just pure whey, but since gluten is found in grains (and junk food, though I don't count that), it wouldn't realistically be present in whey anyway. It certainly isn't in soy.

Exactly; companies often toss those labels on just as a clever marketing ploy—much like saying, "ours is gluten-free while others aren't, so you should definitely buy ours."👍

When we're discussing gluten, it isn't merely about whether a specific ingredient inherently contains it; rather, the real concern lies in the potential for cross-contamination during preparation. To illustrate, suppose you purchase a package of certified gluten-free pasta, feeling quite confident in your healthy choice, but then you use a pot that was previously used to boil standard wheat pasta. In that moment, your meal is effectively contaminated. For those with a genuine sensitivity, even a trace amount—say, 0.001 grams—is enough to trigger a reaction. This principle applies equally to protein powders. If you scoop your whey using a spoon that touched gluten, or if you use a shaker bottle or glass that wasn't thoroughly cleaned after contact with gluten, you have essentially compromised your supplement. Personally, I haven't explored every single gluten-free option on the market, but I can confirm that the Twinlab I am currently using is safe; I made sure to read through the entire label and the packaging myself.

I should also add a brief note regarding this matter: gluten doesn't always appear as a primary ingredient. It can be hidden within preservatives, additives, or food colorings. Consequently, it is entirely possible for a product to lack "gluten" on its ingredient list while still containing traces of it. Therefore, the most prudent course of action is to seek out foods and protein supplements that specifically carry a "gluten-free" label or a similar certification.

Richard Cook2 already covered everything so there's no point in me repeating myself...

I’m not even going to touch those Google suggestions, honestly, it's just redundant at this point.
slydriver52 — look, I already thanked you for trying to help and I really do appreciate the effort, but I genuinely don't get why you're being so pushy about it.

Then you have the others, like that one person acting all high and mighty—if you can't grasp that someone is looking for actual experience, like getting advice from a person who knows more than a search engine, then what am I even supposed to say to you? And then that same person tells me it's enough to just type in "whey protein" 🙄
It’s honestly ridiculous that we’re even having this same debate over and over here!