Best protein powders for muscle gain?

water.

irontiger27 said:Can someone tell me if it's better to mix my protein with milk or water?

Honestly, it doesn't matter much... if you're going with milk, just stick to low-fat.

irontiger27 said:Can someone tell me if it's better to mix my protein with milk or water?

Look, if you're on a bulking phase, go with the milk! You'll be packing in those extra calories way easier, and honestly, milk has a killer macronutrient profile for building mass.
If you're cutting though, you gotta watch those calories so you stay in a deficit. It's usually smarter to eat those calories as actual food instead of drinking them, plus liquid doesn't fill you up like real food does. Stick to water if you're trying to get shredded!

Is this what we're doing now?

Looking to put on about 10-15 lbs. 😁

irontiger27 said:Can someone tell me if it's better to mix my protein with milk or water?

It honestly fascinates me how much people obsess over this stuff. Look, unless you're some pro powerlifter or a competitive bodybuilder, just drink it with whatever makes it taste good to you. Personally, I can't stand mixing mine with water—the taste is just gross.

Whatever, I'm not sweating it. I was just curious if it actually made a difference. Mixing it with water tastes absolutely disgusting—I can't stand it. So, I’d be sticking with milk regardless, but apparently, it doesn't even matter... ☕

How is that not important?????
Seriously, what's the logic behind justifying mixing your MuscleTech whey with milk in your POST WORKOUT MEAL (PWM)... you know, that shake right after the gym?
The milk just slows down your digestion. Plus, your stomach is already working overtime trying to process the PWM itself, which usually consists of whey and glucose.
You really don't want that glucose sitting there undigested... 🙂
because you know exactly what happens when those nutrients don't make it straight to the muscles...
If you absolutely can't stand the thought of using water, then fine, go ahead and mix the milk, whey, and oats in the morning if it makes you feel better.
Or maybe toss it into a regular meal if you've gone, say, three hours without eating... in that case, whey and milk paired with some whole grains or maybe an ounce or two of low-fat cottage cheese might work to slow down the whey absorption...
But when it comes to your actual PWM, it’s water and nothing but water.

dustyhawk32 said:HOW IS IT NOT IMPORTANT?????
Seriously, what kind of logic are you guys using to justify mixing your post-workout meal (PWM)—meaning, your whey and milk shake after hitting the gym—with dairy!??!?
Milk slows down your digestion. On top of that, your stomach is already struggling enough to process your PWM, which usually consists of whey and glucose.
You don't want that glucose sitting there undigested. 🙂
You know exactly what happens when it doesn't get straight to the muscles...
If you absolutely can't stand the thought of mixing whey with water, fine, go ahead and have milk, whey, and some oats in the morning.
Or, if you're having a gap between meals—say, three hours—then maybe a whey and milk combo with some whole grains or a couple of grams of low-fat cottage cheese makes sense just to slow the whey down...
But when it comes to your actual PWM, it’s water or nothing. Period.

It's not important to me, and I bet it isn't important to at least 90% of the people on this forum either. I'm not a pro athlete, and I'm not obsessed with constant calculations, math, studying papers, tracking progress, obsessing over my looks, or weighing and measuring myself every single week. I drink my supplements with whatever works for me. I'm not going to force myself to drink something that makes me nauseous just because I read some random thing online saying it's "supposed" to be done that way.

Look, if you actually care about results after a workout, you gotta mix your whey with water. I mean, sure, you can mix it with whatever you want, but at that point, you might as well just grab a Gatorade. It’s cheaper than buying expensive supplements, right?
You need to get that whey into your system with water within 30 to 45 minutes of finishing up. If you go mixing it with milk, absorption slows down big time, and then what? You're basically wasting your time because it won't have the same effect.
Everyone’s got their own little theories, I guess, but for me, it's simple: you gotta make sure you're getting the absolute most out of every cent you spent.

I just mix mine with water; it doesn't bother me. I might toss in some fruit sweetener from Walgreens.

Occasionally, I'll just take it dry, no water involved. Just dump it straight into my mouth. 😬

Supposedly, that's the fastest way to get it working.

Haven't tried going intravenous yet.

water🙂

anyone calling that pathetic is just a total wimp🤣

maybe just straight into the vein with a syringe would be best 😁

Ronald Cox96 said:Look, it doesn't matter to me, and I honestly think it doesn't matter to about 90% of the people on this board either. I’m not a pro athlete, so I don't spend my life obsessing over math, scientific studies, tracking progress, weighing myself, or measuring body fat every single week... I just mix my shakes with whatever tastes good, rather than forcing down something that makes me nauseous just because some random thing I read online said I had to...

Sorry if I'm trying to break down the science for you in layman's terms—basically explaining what happens at a molecular level in your stomach once you mix whey with milk.
My only goal here is to help people actually get their money's worth from the supplements they buy, just like our friend on the forum mentioned earlier...
The whole point is getting that protein into your muscles as efficiently as possible.
Do whatever you want, really; I’m just pointing out the physiologically correct way to do it. It’s not about my opinion or what someone else dictates, it’s simply how the human body functions...
What actually speeds up the absorption of the whey in MuscleTech is glucose, dextrose, or as someone else put it, fruit sugar—though I should clarify, I mean glucose, NOT fructose...
Enjoy your workouts, but if you're going to bother doing it, you might as well do it right, since I assume everyone here actually wants to see progress instead of regressing, even if you're just training for fun... 👍

dustyhawk32 said:HOW IS IT UNIMPORTANT?????
Seriously, what kind of logic are you using to justify mixing your post-workout meal—specifically your MuscleTech whey with milk—after a lifting session!??!?
Milk slows down digestion. On top of that, your stomach is already struggling to process your MuscleTech, which usually consists of whey and glucose.
You don't want that glucose sitting there undigested. 🙂
You know exactly what happens when those nutrients don't hit the muscles immediately...
If you absolutely can't stand the thought of using water, fine—mix the milk, whey, and oats in the morning.
Or if you're eating a full meal after a long gap—say, three hours—then sure, go ahead with the whey, milk, and some whole grains or maybe an ounce of low-fat cottage cheese to slow the whey down...
But when it comes to your post-workout MuscleTech, it’s water or nothing.

Oh yeah? And can you actually back that up with any evidence?
For someone just training recreationally, it doesn't matter one bit whether they have milk or water in their post-workout shake, unless they're specifically trying to cut weight.
Have you ever even heard that excessive amounts of glucose also slow down digestion?

dustyhawk32 said:Look, I’m just trying to break down the molecular mechanics for you—in layman's terms—of what actually happens in your stomach when you mix whey with milk.
My goal here is simple: I want to help people get their money's worth from the supplements they buy, just like another user mentioned.
The bottom line is getting that protein to your muscles as fast as possible.
Do whatever you want, but I’m stating the facts. This isn't about my opinion or following some arbitrary rulebook; it's about how human biology actually functions.
What accelerates whey absorption in MuscleTech PWM is glucose, dextrose, or what others call fruit sugar (and let me be clear: I am NOT talking about fructose).
Enjoy your training, but if you're going to bother doing it, at least do it right. I assume you all want to see progress, not regression, even if you're just training for fun. 👍

I'm not sure if you've done your homework, but professional athletes typically consume multi-component proteins post-workout. Research shows that the Glycemic Index (GI) of the carbs consumed doesn't necessarily have to be a deciding factor for recovery. While studies prove whey protein speeds up recovery, that effect is mostly limited to the first thirty to sixty minutes after consumption. For most people, the difference is marginal and completely irrelevant for recreational lifters. Relying solely on whey as an amino acid source isn't the optimal meal; it's far better to consume multi-component proteins, ideally paired with a blend of carbohydrates—specifically a combination of monosaccharides and polysaccharides.

Nobody is actually talking about losing or gaining weight here. The whole point is how fast you can get that protein absorbed into the muscle, because that’s what preserves lean mass and potentially triggers growth if your diet actually matches the effort... Look, don't just talk nonsense; it's pretty obvious you have no clue what you're even discussing. You're trying to lecture me on slowing down digestion or glucose levels when I'm talking specifically about the properties in MuscleTech... Do I really need to break down insulin sensitivity for you and explain how much it spikes right after a workout?
Do yourself a favor and do a little homework before posting more mindless questions to clutter up the forum... it would be appreciated.
It's just like dealing with those old-school fundamentalists, you honestly can't win with people like that.
Later.

dustyhawk32 said:Nobody is talking about weight loss or gaining pounds here. The whole point is how fast we can get protein absorbed into the muscle to preserve tissue and potentially trigger growth—assuming your diet actually supports that approach. Stop talking nonsense; it's obvious you have no clue what you're discussing. You're rambling about slowing digestion and glucose when I'm specifically talking about the profile in MuscleTech. Do I really need to give you a lecture on post-workout insulin sensitivity?
Do a little homework before you start posting more "ultra-stupid" questions to clog up the forum. Thanks.
It's just like dealing with religious zealots; you simply cannot win with these people.
Later.

🤦

Just another know-it-all, and an arrogant one at that...
Alright then, where's the proof?

dustyhawk32 said:Nobody is talking about weight loss or gaining pounds here. The point is maximizing how fast protein hits the muscles to prevent breakdown and potentially trigger growth—provided your diet actually supports that approach. Stop talking nonsense; it’s clear you have no clue what you're discussing. You're rambling about slowing digestion and glucose when I'm specifically talking about the MuscleTech formula. Do I really need to sit down and explain post-workout insulin sensitivity to you?
Do yourself a favor: do some actual homework before posting more mindless, low-IQ questions to clutter this forum. Thanks.
It’s just like dealing with religious zealots; you can't win with these people.
Later.

Here is a little assignment for you. Read the latest scientific studies at this link.

So, I’ve been following some of these discussions on the forum regarding various proteins, and I suppose I wanted to ask something myself. Before I actually head down to the gym to start training, I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to put on some weight without relying on supplements? I guess I just want to know the way to go about it first. For context, I’m about 5'9" and weigh roughly 121 lbs... which, I suppose, is a bit light for my height...

William Brooks9 said:I’ve been following some of these discussions on the forum regarding proteins, but I wanted to ask: how can I pack on some weight before I even step foot into a gym? Can anyone give me some advice? I’m about 5'9" and only weigh around 120 lbs... which feels a bit light for my height...

You simply need to start eating properly; whey isn't going to be the magic solution here! If you aim for 5-6 high-quality meals a day plus consistent training, I promise the results will follow!