Best protein powders for muscle gain?

Hard to give a solid recommendation. Usually, you get what you pay for. I guess it’s all somewhere in the middle, though if you browse the BB forums, people love claiming "cheaper is better!" For me, staying with Twinlab or Dymatize is the sweet spot...

If you want my two cents, I’d definitely go with either Dymatize or Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard...

Steven Lopez35 said:Sure,

but what other supplements could actually help him out?

Nothing.

Honestly, he should just forget about supplements entirely right now—all that stuff about "B complex to boost appetite" and those other little shortcuts... they don't really work.

The real answer is finding food he can actually eat consistently. People are basically just products of their habits, you know? So, for him, it means finding a go-to routine that works for his lifestyle (for me, it’s pretty easy: it’s just veggies + meat + a specific sauce or side + more meat + sauce for lunch; breakfast, dinner, and snacks are almost always the same thing), something he can either have served up or just whip up himself easily. Then, he can just swap out different foods based on what he's feeling.

Whether he succeeds probably depends more on his current habits, who's cooking for him, how much cash he's got, and stuff like that. Those are the things that really decide everything. Like, if his mom is always making meals but he ends up grabbing junk for lunch every other day, he's going to fall short on his intake. Or if he's constantly sleeping in late and skipping breakfast, he'll miss his targets there too. It's just like that.

Once he finds that rhythm—that specific type of food he can eat regularly—then he's actually solved the problem. Until he finds that (and he might struggle to find it if he keeps following all those useless tips from random websites), he's just spinning his wheels without getting anywhere.

-Joe

I’d definitely stick with Optimum Nutrition or Twinlab. Avoid Dymatize at all costs—it's loaded with junk and roughly 20% soy. If you don't believe me, grab a tub of Dymatize and take it straight to the FDA for testing; you'll see what I mean😉. Not to mention, their powder is only about 60% protein, making it the worst performer out of the three brands mentioned here.

slydriver52 said:I’d definitely stick with Optimum Nutrition or Twinlab. Dump Dymatize; it's basically junk filled with about 20% soy. If you don't believe me, grab a tub of Dymatize and take it down to the CDC for testing—you'll see for yourself😉. Not to mention their powder is only around 60% protein, which is the worst ratio out of these three brands.

Optimum has 6% more protein but costs 10% more per pound, while Twinlab is up by 1.5%. It’s like anything else in life: you get what you pay for.*😉
Please explain where all these conspiracy theories come from. I honestly can't wrap my head around why anyone would think a multi-billion dollar corporation would risk everything just to lie on their labels. How would they even pull that off?🙂
If the label doesn't say soy, there isn't soy—let alone 20%. And it's not 60% protein, it's 74%. These two others sit at 75% and 80%. But hey, if this guy actually listens to you and goes to get it tested, I'd be damn grateful if he confirmed your claims.

*the point of this post

shadowhound8 said:Optimum Nutrition has about 6% more protein, but you’re paying a 10% premium for that 1kg tub. On the other hand, Twinlab offers a 1.5% higher protein content. It’s like anything else in life: you get exactly what you pay for.*😉
Explain to me where all these conspiracy theories actually come from. I honestly don't get it. How could anyone possibly believe that a multi-billion dollar corporation would have the audacity—or the sheer stupidity—to lie directly on its official disclosures? It’s nonsensical.🙂
If the label doesn't list soy, then there’s no soy in there—and there's certainly no way it hits 20%. We aren't talking about 60% protein; we're looking at 74%. These two brands actually sit at 75% and 80%. Look, if this guy actually takes your advice and runs his own tests, I’d be more than happy to see him confirm exactly what you're saying.

The point of this post is simple.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, including you, but please spare me the childish comments and the constant emoji spam.
The label says there's soy in it, but it doesn't specify the exact amount. That’s the problem—with Dymatize, that percentage is usually high, and if you aren't okay with that, you're going to hate how it mixes. It clumps constantly. I'm talking strictly about standard protein powder here. There are plenty of lab tests available online if you actually bother to look. Clearly, you're one of those naive types who just buys whatever is on the shelf without checking the specs, so I won't waste my breath explaining it further.

Honestly, this protein mixes really well, at least in my experience...

whether you use milk or water.

slydriver52 said:Everyone’s entitled to an opinion, including you, but please spare me the childish comments and the emojis.
The label says it contains soy, but it doesn't specify how much. That percentage is high with Dymatize, and if that isn't enough for you, the protein doesn't even mix well—you end up with clumps. We're talking about standard protein here. There are plenty of reviews online, so go look. You clearly fall into that category of naive users who buy this stuff, so why should I bother explaining? ..................

Fine, if it makes you happy, I'll stop with the emojis, but I have no idea what was supposed to be "childish" about my comment.
My apologies; I just checked the packaging and it really does say "contains milk and soy." I didn't notice earlier because I was looking at an online nutrition label that listed percentages where soy wasn't even listed—just traces.
If you're going to quote my post, at least have the decency to actually answer the questions I asked and tell me where you're getting all this data about trash products and 20% soy content.
And yes, I use that protein, but that's not why I'm defending it. My issue is this conspiracy theory about soy and having 15% less protein, which is based entirely on your word. For me, Dymatize never leaves clumps, regardless of what I mix it with. I've used both 2kg of Optimum Nutrition and 1kg of Twinlab; Twinlab is worse, and while I don't think Optimum Nutrition is worth the price tag, that's just my take.

I’m looking for some advice here. I need to pick up some protein powder. I do a bit of recreational running about 124 miles a month (which works out to roughly four times a week).
I'm on the leaner side, so I'm not really looking for anything meant for massive muscle growth—I just want a solid source of protein. Also, just as a heads-up, I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian, so I eat eggs and drink milk.
Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

So I picked up a 500g tub of BioTech 100% Iso Protein just to test the waters. I read somewhere that you can swap out dextrose for honey, but I was wondering—can I just use raisins instead? Basically, I usually grab a handful of raisins right after my workout, so would it be cool if I ate those and then washed them down with my protein shake?

Sent from my HTC Wildfire

Lisa Rogers94 said:I picked up a 500g tub of BioTech 100% Iso Protein for a trial run. I read somewhere you can swap out dextrose for honey, but I was wondering if raisins would work instead. Basically, if I eat a handful of raisins after my workout, could I then drink my protein?

Sent from my HTC Wildfire

Honey won't cut it; it's mostly fructose. If you aren't dead set on drinking glucose, go ahead and eat the raisins.

George Diaz47 said:Honey isn't actually the answer—it's basically just fructose. If you’re trying to dodge drinking straight glucose, you might be better off just snacking on some grapes instead.

The thing is, this stuff is just way too sweet on its own. I measured out exactly 47g using my kitchen scale and mixed it with 300 ml of water, and oh my god... it was gross! Some lady at the grocery store told me to just use two tablespoons, but I decided to stick to the directions on the bag. Total mistake!

Honey isn't just fructose... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey

Lisa Rogers94 said:The thing is, it’s just way too sweet on its own. I weighed out exactly 47g like the bag said and mixed it with 300 ml of water. It was gross! Some lady at the grocery store told me to just use two soup spoons, but I figured I’d stick to the instructions on the packaging.

It all comes down to how much you weigh. Try using your protein scoop to measure out the same amount of cane
sugar. If it's still hitting you too sweet, just bump the water up to 400 ml. Doesn't really matter... might just digest a little slower, I guess...

edit: Just to jump back into the protein debate... Optimum Nutrition is definitely the gold standard...

Is Muscletech actually any good?

Lisa Rogers94 said:The thing is, it’s just incredibly sweet on its own. I used 47g (on my scale) and 300 ml of water. It was awful! Some lady at the grocery store told me to use 2 tablespoons, but I just followed the instructions on the bag.

I don't get it. Why not just mix the protein in with it? Just add more water like someone suggested above; it's not a big deal.

Sam Roberts said:Honey isn't just fructose.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honey

Sure, but it's mostly fructose. Regardless, even if he were right, it's still the easiest way to explain why it shouldn't be used in a post-workout shake.👍

I don't get it, man... why aren't you just mixing some protein in with that? Seriously, just add some water like that guy above suggested. It’s honestly not even a big deal, totally fine.

Man, these protein powders are just way too sweet on their own. Seriously. I tried mixing 47g of protein with about 10 ounces of water—totally skipped the raisins or anything else to keep the sugar down—and it was still sickeningly sweet. I ended up just snacking on a handful of raisins on the side to balance it out. It tasted like some weird vanilla cappuccino, which honestly? Not my vibe at all. Looking back, I probably should’ve just grabbed a neutral flavor from the start. Maybe they have some options that aren't such sugar bombs, or maybe I'm just being super picky, who knows? I'm gonna go double-check the label to see exactly how much sugar is actually in there.

I’ve been wondering what everyone here thinks about Perfect Body Shak.... I decided to pick some up just to see if it lives up to the hype, so we shall see how it goes. I originally tried mixing it with just water, but honestly, my stomach was doing somersaults because the taste was just absolutely revolting. I ended up switching things up and using a bit of low-fat milk instead; it feels quite a lot sweeter that way, but frankly, it’s the only way I can actually manage to get it down.

So, is it theoretically possible to run into kidney issues if you're taking supplements over a long period? I'm currently on my third tub of Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey—been at it for about six months now, taking one to one and a half scoops every single day. That’s it, though; no other supplements involved. Lately, though, specifically over the last week, I've been feeling this dull ache on both sides in the kidney area. Maybe the best move is just to take a break and see if the pain clears up ☕

Ronald Cox96 said:So, is it actually possible (theoretically) to run into kidney issues if you're on supplements long-term? I’m currently working my way through my third tub of Optimum 100% Gold Standard Whey... been at it for about six months now, taking one to one and a half scoops every single day. Honestly, it's the only supplement I take, but lately—over the last week—I've been feeling this dull ache on both sides near my kidneys. Maybe the best move is just to take a break and see if the pain goes away... ☕

It really shouldn't be an issue, but honestly, it wouldn't hurt to get some blood work and a urinalysis done just to be safe... purely for peace of mind