Best protein powders for muscle gain?

so basically, it just boosts the effectiveness of the whey alone

feralharbor7 said:Whey belongs in that category just as much as BCAA does.
The issue here—and I say this with all due respect to the effort—is that you were correcting someone using fundamentally flawed data. To claim that whey isn't made of amino acids is, frankly, a bit nonsensical. Just because the label prominently features the word "whey" instead of "amino acids" doesn't change the biological reality of what's inside the tub. Now, creatine isn't an amino acid; that’s a fact, and I wasn't even disputing that.

Whether the whey provides essential or non-essential amino acids depends entirely on the specific amino acid profile of whatever manufacturer produced that particular powder—which means one actually has to bother reading the fine print on the back of the container. If it helps clarify things: manufacturers typically create a blend of both essential and non-essential amino acids, whereas the essential ones are isolated into a specific supplement we call BCAA.👍

...I suspect you might need to scratch a little deeper below the surface here. You certainly can't categorize whey as being synonymous with a single amino acid, nor are BCAAs a complete set of all essential amino acids (there are nine in total)—BCAAs specifically refer to just those three branched-chain ones: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. One really ought to study supplementation a bit more closely; otherwise, you fall into the trap of thinking "protein is just protein" and settling for the cheapest option on the shelf. It's an unknown—certainly, based on my own experience—and my professional background is quite closely tied to the subject matter I'm discussing.

shadowhound8 said:Given the context of the rest of the post, I suspect this might just be a joke, though I can't say for certain.
I suppose it might be better to keep things simple, because while those who already have some experience can likely see through the nuances, most people come here specifically because they are looking for clarity, so I guess we should probably avoid causing any unnecessary confusion.

I suppose it would be helpful if you corrected me when I make a comment like that. Please try to be a little understanding; my focus isn't always at its peak, I guess. 🙂 I suppose the reason the other members are here is to offer some guidance and correct me, rather than to mock me. 🙄

nimbleskipper89 said:I suppose these aren't actually amino acids, if I'm being honest.

I suppose I won't say much regarding whey protein, though I did learn that creatine isn't actually an amino acid. My sentiment remains the same as what I told unknown: once you happen to come across the actual facts, it might be helpful to share them with everyone else. 🙂 Then again, I suppose I am certainly no scientific authority myself. 🙄 I am merely a beginner training for recreation. I suppose we are all here to offer one another a bit of guidance and support. 🙂I suppose we shouldn't be making a habit of mocking other people's mistakes. 🙄.

Since those two complete amateurs are... 😁 It doesn't look like it was fixed, so I suppose I might just have to handle it myself. ☕

I suppose there is a rather compelling reason why three out of the four Olympic Games medalists back in '96 were utilizing creatine; it truly seems to work quite effectively. While a French scientist first identified creatine within muscle tissue all the way back in 1832, it wasn't until 1923 that researchers realized over 95% of it is actually stored in the muscles. Interestingly, the first published evidence regarding its benefits for bodybuilding was actually found in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, dating all the way back to 1926. Even though we have known about creatine for quite some time, I believe its first significant application for enhancing strength occurred during the 1992 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

So, what exactly is creatine? I suppose you could say our bodies produce this compound through a natural biological process, primarily using it to help replenish energy within our muscle tissue. It's synthesized in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys before being transported through the bloodstream directly to the muscles. Once it reaches its destination, it essentially converts into phosphocreatine. This high-energy metabolite is then utilized to regenerate ATP—the primary source of energy in our cells—which I believe is fundamental for muscle function.

I suppose that, unlike steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs, creatine is entirely natural and can be found in many different types of food; therefore, I imagine it could never really be banned from sporting events or international competitions, unless they decided to ban meat altogether. A wide variety of foods—especially things like salmon, tuna, and beef—contain creatine, though I suspect the most effective way to supplement is through monohydrate, since it seems to provide much more creatine per gram than any other source.

I suppose one could argue that creatine stands as the definitive bodybuilding supplement, and there are certainly valid reasons for that belief. Primarily, we see its ability to noticeably boost lean muscle mass in as little as two weeks. It also seems to play a role in increasing strength during high-intensity training sessions, elevating energy levels, and perhaps even speeding up recovery times. It isn't really surprising then that athletes who incorporate it often seem to hold an advantage over those who don't. I imagine that soon, almost every competitive athlete will be using creatine, if they aren't already. Its capacity to bolster muscle energy reserves likely stems from how it aids protein synthesis while simultaneously reducing protein breakdown. This might happen because creatine has this remarkable effect of super-hydrating the muscle tissue with water, which in turn may promote growth by making the muscle fibers stronger and larger.

There have actually been quite a few studies conducted on creatine to try and figure out exactly how and why it works so effectively. In the last five years, there have been over twenty double-blind studies regarding creatine—meaning neither the researchers nor the participants knew who was receiving the supplement. These studies have demonstrated that creatine raises energy levels, which results in improved strength, endurance, and recovery speed. Another rather surprising positive effect that has been discovered is that creatine may help accelerate fat loss while building up lean muscle mass.

Copied and pasted from: www.building-body.com

nimbleskipper89 said:...I honestly think you need to dig a little deeper here. You can't just list Whey as if it were a single amino acid, and BCAAs aren't actually all the essential amino acids—there are nine total, but when people say BCAAs, they’re specifically talking about those three branched-chain ones: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. There's a lot to learn about supplements, and you really have to steer clear of that "all protein is the same, so just buy the cheapest one" mindset. It's an unknown, for sure—speaking from my own experience, and my professional background is actually pretty closely tied to what I'm writing about here.

Let's try looking at it this way:

Whey is a protein.
Proteins are made up of amino acids (notice the plural there!) held together by peptide bonds.
So, if we follow that logic, whey is basically—well, what?

No matter how much someone tries to twist the argument, at the end of the day, whey is essentially just amino acids.

Henry Evans3 said:So, does the energy levels recovery happen faster or something?

Exactly! That's basically it.

-Steve

Hey everyone, what's up! 🙂
I’m seriously struggling with my weight—I'm 6'2" but only about 136 lbs, and I can't seem to put on a single ounce. It’s honestly been pretty depressing for a while now.
I’ve gone through all the doctors and tests, and everything comes back totally normal—no underlying issues, just a super fast metabolism, apparently. I feel like I've tried every trick in the book with zero luck, so now I'm thinking about hitting the gym. I was wondering if you guys have any advice on nutrition or specific shakes to help me finally pack on some muscle... any tips would be huge!

feralharbor7 said:Let’s try looking at this through a slightly more logical lens:

Whey is a protein.
Proteins consist of amino acids—mind the plural there—linked by peptide bonds.
So, logically speaking, whey is just... what?

No matter how much someone tries to twist the argument, at the end of the day, whey is fundamentally just amino acids.

...we aren't debating the fundamental essence here; we are conducting an analysis. If you start listing specific amino acids, you aren't really talking about "whey" anymore—you're just confusing people who might be reading about this for the very first time. If someone is actually searching for information on amino acids, they’ll find a breakdown of essential versus non-essential ones. You won't find "whey" listed as a category within that classification... I don't see how that isn't the core issue. I personally believe that participating in these discussions should involve teaching something useful, rather than just muddying the waters for those who are still learning the basics.

Joshua Carter5 said:Hey, hi everyone on the forum! 🙂
I'm having a bit of a struggle with my weight... I'm about 6'2" and only 136 lbs, and I just can't seem to put on even a single pound, no matter what...

Oh, you totally can. You absolutely can.
Well, looking at your stats, if we set aside any medical stuff—you know, the kind of things people joke about in those mean memes—it seems like you just aren't eating nearly enough to actually function properly.
I mean, maybe you're skipping breakfast, or maybe you just have one big plate of food once a day and think, "Yeah, that's plenty," or maybe you just don't feel like eating dinner? Something like that, I guess.

So now I'm thinking about starting to work out, and I was wondering what you guys recommend for drinks and diet? I'm hoping that might help me pack on some weight...

Honestly, I'd recommend everything.

If you could, maybe write down everything you ate yesterday, the day before, and even Friday? Just roughly how much of each thing you had.
That would probably give us a pretty clear picture of where things are hitting a wall.

-Steve

So I was using these calorie tracking apps to build my meal plan—basically aiming for about 3,000 to 4,000 calories a day through six different meals. Honestly, maybe I lowballed it? Based on what I was actually eating, it felt like more, but I went by the numbers

Basically, breakfast was 3 or 4 eggs, some deli salami, and full-fat yogurt with bread,

then for a snack, I’d hit some cheese, yogurt, milk, bread, some fruit, and maybe some cereal

Lunch was usually pork, fish, or chicken—like 2 or 3 cutlets—plus pasta and bread...

Dinner would be something like 5 or 6 hot dogs, more deli meat, cheese (the high-fat kind), eggs, and even some chocolate

That was the gist of it. I stuck to that routine for maybe a month, maybe a little longer, but eventually just quit when I realized the scale wasn't budging at all

Joshua Carter5 said:I mean, I found some calorie charts online and tried to build my whole meal plan based on those, right? I was trying to hit about 3,000 to 4,000 calories a day spread across six meals. Maybe I messed up if that’s actually too low, but honestly, looking at everything I was eating, it didn't really feel like that little...

So, for breakfast, I’d have like 3 or 4 eggs, some salami, full-fat yogurt with bread...

Then for a snack, maybe some cheese with yogurt, milk, bread, and some fruit or cereal...

Lunch would be pork, fish, or chicken—maybe 2 or 3 cutlets—plus pasta and bread...

And dinner was usually 5 or 6 hot dogs, more salami, some cheese (the 45% fat kind), eggs, even some chocolate...

That was pretty much the gist of it. I ate like that for maybe a month, maybe a little longer, and then... nothing. Just nothing. So I eventually gave up once I realized the scale wasn't moving at all.

That doesn't sound like six meals to me. It feels more like you're just giving me a highlight reel of what you ate over the last three or four days. I need something way more specific and precise than that. Also, it seems like you're listing things you eat throughout the week rather than what you actually consume on any given day (or your daily average).
Once I strip away all that uncertainty in this "daily menu," I can totally see why your weight stayed stuck.

Basically, you just weren't consistently eating enough.

-Steve

I don't want this to be taken the wrong way—everyone is free to do whatever they want—but I honestly can't wrap my head around why there is such an obsession with whey protein. Isn't it just the cheapest and fastest way to get some protein in? Most people seem to think they can magically transform their physique by tossing this in a shaker, when in reality, you’d see much better results just by actually stepping up your training intensity and cleaning up your overall diet. For the vast majority, supplements like creatine, L-carnitine, or whey are nothing more than a tiny edge used by elite athletes and pro bodybuilders who have already mastered their training and nutrition down to the smallest detail. To everyone else, whey is basically pure marketing fluff. Most manufacturers are just manipulating the ratios of protein to carbs to make their products look better, not to mention the fact that these powders are now loaded with artificial sweeteners like aspartame, which is practically a carcinogen and has become a staple in almost every tub on the shelf. If you just fix your diet and work harder in the gym, you won't need any of those other supplements beyond basic vitamins, minerals, and fish oil.

Look, whey isn't some magic potion, nor is it the be-all and end-all of fitness.
If your diet is dialed in and your training is solid, using whey is still a smart move.

Think about the logistics: you finish a workout and then have to spend time prepping chicken and rice? That's a massive time sink.
It’s much easier to just knock back some whey and dextrose, hit the shower, and then make my rice and chicken or tuna later. That covers my post-workout needs perfectly.🙂
Plus, if you can find it cheaper than at a local grocery store, it’s not actually that expensive—it doesn't seem as pricey once you break it down.🙂
But yeah, I'll give you this: the marketing surrounding whey is absolutely massive.

I just toss two scoops of Whey protein into my post-workout shake and call it a day. Then I see everyone looking at me like I’ve cracked some secret code because my two-pound tub lasts me a full two months. Seriously, what's the point of slamming protein all day if you can actually eat real food? If you can manage a mix of glucose and Whey protein in your post-workout shake, you're set. Beyond that, it's nothing but chicken and lean protein for me.

Christian Williams4 said:Dude, just eat some sugary cereal, drink cocoa, and grab some yogurt! I bulk up like crazy just doing that alongside my workouts. Seriously, it works!

Real food is king, though. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on protein shakes or powder, but you gotta realize there's a whole lab process involved to strip the protein out of whey or whatever else they use. It's not exactly "natural" in the purest sense. Not saying it's bad, just saying real food hits different.

I even used to chug that leftover liquid from making fresh farmhouse cheese. Tastes pretty nasty, honestly, but hey—pure, raw protein right there.

Clearly you have no clue. Cereal is total crap, and that cheese water—aka whey—is basically 98% water and maybe 0.5% protein. The rest is just fat. Use your brain.

Richard Bennett44 said:I wanted to jump in on this thread. I'm trying to pack on some weight too, but mostly muscle 🙂
I hit the gym 4 times a week and picked up some Whey protein. I've been having one scoop / 32g (which is 24g of protein) mixed with milk after every workout. I was doing some reading and now I'm wondering how much protein I actually need. The label says for my build (6'1", 155lbs), I should take up to 126g of powder, which is like 4 scoops. It's all a bit confusing because the lady at the store where I bought it told me not to take more than one scoop since my body won't be able to digest that much protein anyway...

Also, one more thing—should I be drinking protein on days I don't go to the gym, like when I'm just chilling at home doing nothing 😁 or nah?

thanks in advance

look, it doesn't matter if you dump 50g of protein into your system all at once. Your body needs a steady supply, so you gotta eat every 2-3 hours. If that powder is actual Whey—and I'm assuming yours is decent quality—just grab a scoop right after training, or maybe in the morning between meals.

I'm hitting my protein shakes every single morning and again right after my workouts... is that actually okay?

Henry Evans3 said:I'm hitting my protein shakes every single morning and then again right after I finish my workout in the evening—is that actually okay?

Yeah,

Lawrence Perez36 said:is

Not really; taking it in the evening is fine, but doing it in the morning just doesn't make sense, does it? In the morning, you're better off sticking to muesli or oatmeal, because honestly, what's the point of whey in the morning when there's practically no effect?

Maybe it would actually be more effective to just take it both right before and right after training?

Honestly, you can drink it before you hit the gym, right after your workout, first thing in the morning, or even in the afternoon.
Seriously, any time works!

The main reason people suggest having it after training—especially if you mix it with some carbs—is just because whey is what we call a fast-acting protein. It hits your system at that exact moment when your body is basically screaming for it.
But hey, there’s absolutely no rule saying you can't have it during the day too... I mean, if you need the extra supplement to help hit your macros, go for it.

-Steve