Best protein powders for muscle gain?

Scott Ramirez41 said:19 years old, 5'8", 117lbs. Do I actually need to buy protein powder, whey, or whatever? Or should I just skip that 😁
stuff? I'm just a casual guy, don't hit the gym, I'm pretty (too) skinny...
And somehow, I gained 2 lbs in a single week. 😲 Honestly, it's more weird that it happened in one week...
I doubt it'll stick 🤣 but this hasn't happened before... lolz
This week I've been loading up on anything with protein, and I'm managing to put on mass even though I don't really work out. I do run for half an hour every day and do a few sets of pushups and situps, though...

You're a perfectly healthy young person.
Don't waste money on supplements that some idiot writes sponsored articles about in the news, or that Oprah hosts as a nutrition "guru."

It's incredible how casual hobbyists like you end up being way bigger "food fanatics" than professional athletes.

Everyone thinks they need to eat according to some strict schedule and specific gram counts from sunrise to sunset.

Man, if you don't dial back the self-promotion on your site just a little bit, you’re going to end up getting banned—and honestly, you'll have earned it. I'm actually surprised you haven't been kicked off yet. 🤷
It’s such a shame, too, because every once in a while, you actually try to contribute something meaningful instead of just copy-pasting that same link over and over again.

I know typing on a phone is a total nightmare, but clearly, you just had to dive into this protein thread and start dropping advice from your mobile device because it was apparently some kind of emergency 🙂

Don't act all high and mighty with me about how you "don't need protein"... honestly, go ahead and let people drink whatever they can afford if they want to. It’s not like it’s gonna kill you—in fact, it’ll probably actually help most of you get in shape and pack on some real muscle mass. By the way, I’m still using Horse Power, even though half the idiots out there love to downplay it or drone on about how "dangerous" or "unhealthy" it is. That’s all just noise to me. Nothing bad has happened to my body, and I’ve seen actual results—my arm went from about 15 inches to 16.5 inches. Seriously, you could walk up to any pro bodybuilder in the States and ask them how to get huge, and they’ll tell you straight to your face: you can't do it without gear. There’s no way around the chemistry. Anyway, peace out—hope that helps!

hollowharbor14 said:protein powders... honestly, if you can afford them, go ahead. They aren't going to kill you, and they'll definitely help you recover and actually put on some muscle weight.

Yeah, you nailed it!
But only if you're actually working out and eating right, too!!!

hollowharbor14 said:by the way, I take Horsepower too

Stay far away from Horsepower. A healthy person has absolutely no business touching that kind of crap.

You explained that quite clearly

Man, that horse power is just UNREAL... 🙂

Look, I’m actually on the same page as you guys here—you can’t just chug protein shakes and sit on your couch all day... if you do, it’s all just going straight to your gut. You have to actually put in the work at the gym! If you pair training with protein, you'll start seeing real results within a month. Of course, everything depends on which specific protein you're using... and as for Horse Power? For heaven's sake, don't even touch that stuff unless you've been hitting the weights consistently for a while. If you don't know what you're doing, stay away! But hey, it won't kill you if you actually know how to cycle it properly—I'm telling you, take it for a month, then give your body a month off...!!!!

hollowharbor14 said:Look, I’m actually on board with what you guys are saying here. You can't just chug protein shakes and lounge on the couch all day expecting miracles... if you do, you're just gonna end up gaining fat instead of muscle. It’s got to be training plus protein, otherwise, you're wasting your time. You'll see actual results in about a month if you put in the work. Of course, it really depends on which supplement you're using, but as for Horse Power? For heaven's sake, don't touch that stuff unless you've been hitting the gym consistently for a while and actually know what you're doing! It won't kill you if you use it right—I'd say try it for a month, then take a month off to let your body reset.!!!!

I heard that if you take that Horse Power stuff, you start losing hair from your head.

AHAHAHAHAHA! Man, you actually have a sense of humor 😉 No way, I’m using it right now and nothing is falling out... though, honestly, I did hear from some guys that methane buildup can cause hair loss and even make your teeth fall out—just emphasizing that I *heard* it, I haven't tried it myself so who knows... but as for Horse, I swear there are no side effects yet. I've been on it for three months and we'll see what happens later, hopefully nothing crazy ;D

cool

wiredpilot30 said:Post-workout, especially if you're hitting some carb-protein blend, you'll see an uptick in growth hormone levels. Some studies even show a spike in Insulin-like growth factor 1.
It’s essentially the same logic applied to pure carbs.

On the flip side, slamming carbs right before bed is going to suppress your growth hormone release.

To put it bluntly: Carbs after training? Fine. Carbs before sleep? Not fine.

What if someone trains late at night? What's the play then?

hollowharbor14 said:Don't be so naive about skipping protein supplements... if you have the cash, go ahead and drink them. It won't kill you, and it'll definitely help you recover and pack on muscle mass. For the record, I even use horse power. People love to downplay it or spread rumors about how it’s "dangerous" or whatever—it's all nonsense. I haven't had a single issue, and my physique has improved significantly; my arm went from about 15 inches to 16.5 inches. Honestly, go talk to any serious bodybuilder in your local gym. If you ask them how to get huge, they'll tell you straight up: you can't do it without gear. So there you go, hope that helps!

The problem is that these types of supplements are often contaminated with banned substances like anabolic steroids, which can be extremely hazardous to your health.

slydriver52 said:What if you end up hitting the gym late at night? What then?

I honestly think it doesn't matter much—since you'd probably just be using those carbs to refill the muscle glycogen you burned off during your workout anyway.

hollowharbor14 said:Without chemistry, there’s no bread on the table.

I'm with you on that. I just can't shake the feeling that all that chemistry eventually catches up to you—it's only a matter of time before it starts taking its toll.

slydriver52 said:What if I train late at night? What then?

Then you head over to the Art Institute of Chicago to find some cable and hang yourself... honestly... 😬

Just train, eat or drink whatever works for you, and call it a day. You don't necessarily need to gorge yourself on 30 grams of glucose or a massive slice of cheesecake right before hitting the sack. 😁

For most lifters—especially the newbies—the issue isn't actually about carbohydrates. It’s something much more ridiculous: a mental roadblock where they start thinking, "Man, I need my whey and some damn glucose from Walmart, but since it's bedtime, I should probably have casein too... what do I do now? If I take casein or something fatty, it'll slow down the whey absorption and catabolism will eat me alive until I look like Lucky from Malnar's crew... 🤣 So, the "logical solution" is to just stay awake for another 3 or 4 hours after training instead of sleeping." 😬

That’s the struggle for most people when they deal with late sessions. It’s pretty sad, really, because people read all this nonsense online and just swallow it whole without questioning anything. Our brains are right there in our heads, just waiting for us to actually use them. 😉

Mark Sullivan64 said:I think it doesn't really matter, because those carbs are presumably meant to replenish the muscle glycogen you burned off during your workout.

Honestly, glycogen is probably the least of any lifter's concerns. Those carbs aren't even there for glycogen replenishment—unless you’re, I don't know, a marathon runner training like a maniac every single day, or someone hitting the gym twice a day with insane intensity, or maybe a pro cyclist...

You have to realize that you can't just "empty" your glycogen stores that easily. Not many people actually grasp that. To make things even more ridiculous, glycogen replenishes so fast that this constant obsession with it is actually kind of hilarious. 🙂

wiredpilot30 said:Glycogen is the least of any lifter's worries. You aren't hitting those UH levels because of glycogen—unless you’re some kind of maniac running marathons every single day, crushing two-a-day sessions at the gym with insane intensity, or you're a pro cyclist...

You all need to wrap your heads around the fact that you can't just "drain" your glycogen stores on a whim. Hardly anyone actually understands how this works. Honestly, the way people constantly obsess over it is ridiculous, because glycogen replenishes far too quickly for that to even be a practical concern. 🙂

Actually, muscle glycogen is absolutely depleted during anaerobic training. We are talking specifically about the glycogen stored within the muscles themselves. To truly bottom out those reserves, you would need a very specific dietary regimen paired with intense training; after about 3 or 4 days of that kind of discipline, the stores should be exhausted. That state is what we call ketosis.

slydriver52 said:Muscle glycogen definitely gets burned through during anaerobic training. We're talking about the glycogen stored right in the muscles here. If you actually wanted to completely drain those stores, you'd need a very specific diet paired with your workouts, and after maybe 3 or 4 days of that kind of regimen, your reserves should be tapped out. That state is what we call ketosis.

Look, I understand perfectly how glycogen is depleted, but you aren't going to burn off the glycogen from your entire body unless your diet is an absolute disaster and you're training like some sort of mindless maniac... and honestly, I'm just going to stop there, because I really don't have the energy for a full-blown debate.

2. And where on earth did you even get the idea about ketosis from? Seriously, how many athletes or regular gym-goers do you think are actually living in a constant state of ketosis? 😁

wiredpilot30 said:I understand exactly how glycogen depletion works. But let’s be realistic: you aren't going to burn through your entire body's supply unless your diet is an absolute disaster and you're training like a complete maniac. I'm dropping my end of this conversation there; I have no interest in arguing about it.

Where exactly did you even get the idea about ketosis? And for heaven's sake, how many athletes or fitness enthusiasts actually stay in constant ketosis? 😁

During anaerobic training, the body relies on muscle glycogen as its primary fuel source—assuming we're talking about classic sets with rest periods. I'm still pinning down exactly when catabolism kicks in, though. I’ll look into it and circle back to the forum once I have some clarity.😁

You don't need to train like a maniac to see results. It’s enough to slash your carb intake down to a minimum—around 50 grams a day—to effectively deplete your glycogen stores. I’ve tested this on myself, and while it’s incredibly efficient for stripping away body fat, I wouldn't recommend staying on such a restrictive regimen long-term. It’s simply not healthy.
Fine, I'll just copy and paste it too.😁

Ketosis is essentially what happens when your blood concentration of ketone bodies spikes. It’s a metabolic shift triggered when the liver starts converting fat into fatty acids and ketones to meet the body's energy demands.

Ketone bodies are essentially byproducts generated during the beta-oxidation of fatty acids. This process produces acetyl-CoA, which then feeds directly into the Krebs cycle.

Ketosis typically kicks in when the body starts leaning heavily on fatty acids for fuel—much like how you’d switch to backup generators when the main power grid goes down due to a glucose shortage during fasting.

Look, it’s pretty straightforward: once you burn through your liver's glycogen stores, the body begins its slow transition into ketosis.

Great point... but we’re drifting off course here. I know exactly what you’re getting at with your "copypasta," mostly because I’m actually in ketosis myself right now and I know the mechanics inside and out. As for this whole "unhealthy" debate? We could honestly go on forever about it. 😛

If you’re eating even remotely normally, you aren't going to just drain your glycogen stores overnight. Ketosis is its own beast entirely, and once you're there, the conversation around glycogen changes. Plus, like I said, you don't just deplete it instantly; the body is smart enough to monitor its own state and react accordingly.

You probably think you're burning muscle while in ketosis—likely because everyone focuses so much on glycogen or because you've noticed your muscles looking a bit smaller—but there’s an entirely different set of rules at play here. It isn't quite that simple or as bleak as it looks. The human body isn't some basic, predictable machine. 🙂

Anyway, I won't drag us down a rabbit hole of gluconeogenesis, triglycerides, and all that other technical stuff... so I'll wrap this up here.