Best protein powders for muscle gain?

Oh, please... so this guy at the convenience store hands me these little packets—flavored like chocolate and vanilla, I guess—and tells me straight to my face that it's an isolate... what on earth? Is that even actual whey anymore, or have we just moved on to something else entirely? I mean, is it even possible to take some isolate from a packet like that, mix it with some Glucose in water after a workout, and actually get anything out of it?

At the end of the day, whey isolate is still just whey; it’s just a slightly higher grade of the same stuff...

Given the budget we're looking at, what would be the smarter buy? If anyone has a recommendation—maybe even a direct link—I'd really appreciate it!

If it were me, I’d probably just grab some Dymatize Elite Whey over at Nutrix. It costs a bit less, too—and sure, it’s just your standard whey, but you aren't dealing with any of that aspartame nonsense...

Can I just mix my whey with milk and toss it in a shaker bottle to take to class? Is it going to spoil on me after a few hours?
Honestly, trying to manage snacks while I'm stuck on campus all day is exhausting—I feel like I've run through every idea I have.

Usually, I just stick to water after a workout, but I heard mixing it with milk for a snack is actually better since it digests slower.
And yeah, I'm still focused on losing weight, so I wouldn't bother if it caused extra bulk (someone mentioned that earlier), though that doesn't really make sense to me—it’s just protein, and milk mostly provides the fats anyway.🤷
thanks🙂

Linda Hill27 said:Is it actually okay to mix my whey with milk and just carry it around in a shaker bottle, say, to my college classes? Will it go bad or spoil after just a few hours?
I am honestly struggling so much with these mid-day snacks because I'm stuck on campus all day long and I feel like I've completely run out of ideas.

Usually, I just stick to water after my workouts, but I heard that using milk for a snack might be better since it digests a bit slower.
And yeah, my main goal is still losing weight, so I wouldn't bother with it if it actually caused fat gain (as someone mentioned earlier), though that seems totally illogical to me since we're talking about pure protein, and milk is mostly just fats anyway🤷
thanks🙂

Linda... sorry... I don't really have an answer for you on that specific part... but I guess I'll just jump in with a follow-up question myself😁 ...and I'm also wondering, does whey actually make you gain weight? ...but we really need to define what "getting fat" even means here... because if by "fat" you mean someone who carries a lot of extra pounds... that doesn't necessarily mean they are overweight.. for instance, I was at the gym today seeing this guy, maybe 5'11" and 200 lbs... he isn't fat at all..

So, could you guys just tell me, when I take my whey and some glucose mixed with water in a shaker right after the gym (around 6:00 PM)... is it alright if I eat a regular dinner around 7:30 PM??? ...like, what is going to happen to my muscle mass if I hit every machine for a few sets (for about 2 hours), drink my whey afterward, and then just eat three normal meals a day??? 😕

Being overweight is about having a high body fat percentage—not just seeing a big number on the scale. Those extra pounds could easily be muscle mass, and if that's the case, you aren't actually "fat." As for your first point, yeah, you can definitely wait an hour and a half between meals without any issues. Regarding your second question... I'm honestly lost. What exactly do you think is going to happen to your muscles? :/ Give me a bit more context there.

Linda Hill27, it’ll spoil if the milk goes bad, which is a real possibility if it sits out in the heat for a few hours instead of staying in the fridge. Honestly, if you're looking for a snack, you'd probably be better off packing a sandwich or something similar in a lunchbox rather than relying on a shake.

velvetraven said:As for your second point, I honestly don't follow what you mean regarding what would happen to your muscles... :/ Maybe you could elaborate a bit on that.

Well, let me give you a concrete scenario... say an individual... 18 years old, 6'2", about 170 lbs... hitting the gym three times a week for 2 hours per session, taking whey and glucose only after the workout... following a standard diet (maybe 2-3 large meals and perhaps a snack here and there)

What kind of results can one realistically expect after 2 or 3 months... weight gain or loss? By how much? ...And will the muscles look pumped up or what? etc... 😉

I realize this all depends heavily on training intensity... but just for the sake of argument... let's assume we're talking about moderate intensity.
☕

It’s honestly tough to give you a straight answer because everyone is wired differently—it’s purely individual. If you’ve got your nutrition dialed in—which, let’s be real, usually means hitting about five solid meals a day—and you're actually getting enough sleep and training with purpose, your weight should be trending up regardless. As for how much? That's anyone's guess; it all comes down to your specific metabolism and genetics. And frankly, two hours in the gym is overkill if you’re just grinding away with weights the whole time—though I suppose if you're factoring in cardio, it might make sense. Personally, I don't think a session should drag on past an hour and fifteen minutes—you'd be better off cranking up the intensity and cutting back on the total number of sets or exercises. Also, two or three months is a pretty short window to judge anything. Give it six months before you start comparing results—by that six-month mark, you should be seeing some very obvious progress in terms of actual mass and muscle definition.

Yeah, and you should definitely be tracking it monthly so you can actually see the changes and progress happening over time.

velvetraven said:I guess it’s incredibly difficult to give a definitive answer because everything is so highly individualized, isn't it? Based on what I see, if you actually have your nutrition dialed in—which, let's be honest, would probably require eating about five solid meals a day—and you're getting enough rest while training properly, your weight really ought to be trending upward in any case. As for how much, though, it's hard to say; it all depends on your specific metabolism and your genetics. Honestly, spending two hours at the gym might be overkill if you're just lifting weights for that entire duration, though I suppose if you're including cardio in that window, then maybe it makes sense. Generally speaking, I don't think your training sessions should exceed an hour and fifteen minutes; perhaps you should try increasing the intensity while cutting down on the number of repetitions or exercises. Also, two or three months is such a relatively short window of time, so I'd suggest looking at a six-month period for a real comparison of your progress. By the six-month mark, the gains should be quite obvious, both in terms of mass increase and muscle definition.

Yeah, and you definitely need to track those measurements monthly so you can actually monitor your progress and any physical changes.

Thanks so much👍.... well, with just the weights, it's probably closer to an hour... sometimes I end up chatting with someone and it's even less than that😁... and my diet isn't exactly great right now... but whatever, I'll check back in with you in 3 or 4 months😉

Um... hold on... wait a second... I’m feeling a little bit thrown off by what I'm seeing on bodybuilding.com. It's writing something really strange here... so, my question is: would it be sufficient to just take some whey protein and glucose mixed in water right after a workout—basically treating it as a sort of "fasted" intake... or am I supposed to consume that shake alongside a full meal???

First, you hit the whey, some dextrose, and water right after your workout—then you just wait an hour or two until things settle down before eating a real meal. The whole idea here is to let that whey absorb as fast as possible; if you go and gorge yourself immediately, you're just going to slow down that absorption process.

velvetraven said:My take is you grab some whey mixed with dextrose and water right after your workout, then wait maybe an hour or two before sitting down for a full meal once your stomach settles a bit. The whole idea here is to capitalize on how quickly that whey hits your system; if you go and eat a massive plate of food immediately, you're just going to slow down that absorption process.

I wouldn't wait that long, though. You should probably eat sooner than an hour or two. It usually takes about half an hour for the whey to digest...

I just can't stand the thought of mixing whey with water—mixing it with milk tastes incredible. Honestly, it makes hitting the gym much more enjoyable knowing I get that reward afterward...🙂 I know everyone says water is technically "better," but is it really such a disaster if I stick to 1% milk?

brightharbor26 said:ketty....sorry ..I honestly don't have an answer for you on that one... but I'll just jump in with a question 😁 ... and I'm also wondering if you actually gain weight from whey?

Look, people gain weight because they eat more calories than they burn. One gram of protein is about 4 calories, which is the same as a gram of carbs, while fats pack about 9 calories per gram.
The reason you shouldn't stress about gaining fat from protein is simply because it's incredibly hard to overeat it. If you tried to eat a whole pound of low-fat cottage cheese—which is pure protein—you’d be hitting the same calorie count as eating a single Hershey bar. Carbs and proteins hit similarly, but let's be real: you can polish off carbs in seconds, whereas getting enough protein requires some actual effort and planning.

brightharbor26 said:so just tell me, if I take my whey and that sugar mix with water in my shaker right after the gym (around 6:00 PM)... can I still eat a normal dinner around 7:30 PM? ... basically, what happens to my muscles if I spend two hours hitting every machine at the gym, drink my whey afterward, and then stick to three regular meals a day ??? 😕

Like the guys already mentioned, you should aim to have your next meal about an hour after finishing the whey.

rapiddriver11 said:I can't stand whey mixed with water; mixing it with milk is delicious. It actually makes me look forward to hitting the gym because I know I get to drink that afterward...🙂 I know water is technically better, but is it really such a huge disaster if I use 2% milk?

It isn't really about the fat content in the milk. The real issue is the lactose, which digests slowly and ends up slowing down how fast the whey gets absorbed.
A decent workaround would be grabbing something like a lactose-free milk from a brand like Fairlife, though those tend to be higher in fat anyway, so it's not a perfect fix.

jadetiger962 said:Not an hour or two later, but sooner. That whey protein kicks in after about thirty minutes...

Look, if you’re drinking this on an empty stomach—which, let's be honest, means you're heading into a workout starving—it moves fast. If you actually had some real food sitting in your gut beforehand, that would slow down digestion, obviously... but my point remains the same. You have your shake, then you've got maybe half an hour before you need to worry about your next solid meal.

I make it a point never to hit the gym on an empty stomach; I usually grab a bite about an hour or two beforehand, though by the time I’ve actually finished my workout, I find myself absolutely famished.

rapiddriver11 said:I just can't wrap my head around mixing whey with water—milk makes it taste incredible. Honestly, it’s the one thing that actually gets me excited to hit the gym, knowing I get that shake afterward...🙂 I know the "experts" say water is better, but really, what's the big deal if you mix it with some 2% milk?

Just hold your nose—that's what I do, anyway. haha.
🙂

rapiddriver11 said:I just can't wrap my head around mixing whey with water. Mixing it with milk? That's heaven. Honestly, I actually look forward to hitting the gym because I know there’s a delicious shake waiting for me afterward...🙂 I mean, I get that everyone says water is "optimal," but is it really such a huge disaster if you mix it with some 2% milk?

I haven't been keeping up with your posts—which protein brand are you currently using?

You should seriously try Dymatize Elite. It tastes so good you won't even realize you're mixing it with water 👍

I’m not entirely sure how much I dislike flavored proteins, but I recently came across some claims suggesting that the aspartame used in them is quite harmful—apparently, long-term use over several years could lead to various internal issues and general bodily damage. It makes me wonder: would unflavored proteins contain significantly lower amounts of aspartame?
Given that the standard versions seem to sit at roughly 228mg per 100g,