4 Things to Avoid When Choosing Protein Powder
Choosing a good protein powder supplement can get confusing and expensive because there are thousands of brands and variations to choose from. In addition, a large percentage of them are endorsed by various celebrities, trainers, and athletes which makes it even harder to figure out what’s the best protein powder for you and your goals.
When doing research for protein power here are four things to keep in mind before putting down your money.
#1 – Avoid Cheap Nitrogen Spiking
Drinking whey protein is a quick and convenient way for people to meet their protein requirements every day.
The main ingredient for building muscles is amino acids which are derived from whey protein, one of the two main proteins in cow’s milk. Whey protein contains all the essential amino acids to repair and build muscle after exercise.
Because of the involved and complicated extraction process for whey protein, pure whey is very expensive to make.
To determine the amount of protein and specific amino acids in protein powders for the ingredients label, laboratories measure their nitrogen content. Nitrogen is an atom that all amino acids contain and it gives off a specific signal during detection.
20 Amino Acids. Credit: Research Gate Publications
Due to the high cost of quality branched amino acids (BCAAs), a subset of amino acids, many companies participate in a practice called nitrogen spiking. This practice cuts manufacturer costs and creates protein powder products that are cheaper while still providing you with a high concentration of protein per serving.
Nitrogen spiking is where manufacturers substitute the more expensive amino acids with cheaper amino acid fillers such as glycine and taurine to the protein powder. These cheaper amino acid fillers will still pass laboratory inspections and give off the right nitrogen signal so companies can include them as the grams of protein on the nutrition label.
However, these cheaper fillers do not offer any benefits in terms of promoting muscle growth and muscle repair.
You can easily check to see if your protein powder has been manufactured with nitrogen spiking by looking at the nutrition label.
If the ingredients are a ‘proprietary blend’ the odds are pretty good that that company brand practices nitrogen spiking. Manufacturers involved in nitrogen spiking like to hide behind the ingredients label and say their protein powders are a top-secret blend.
Examples of proprietary blends for protein powders.
So make sure to look at the nutrition label for individual amino acids versus a ‘protein blend’ to avoid nitrogen spiking. Google and research to see that the brand has been inspected by an independent third-party testing company for accurate amino acid content.
#2 – Scope Out Protein Per Scoop Size
Another way manufacturers can deceive you about protein content is in the scoop serving size.
Check the nutrition label and do a comparison of serving size (g) versus the grams of protein (g). Oftentimes you’ll find that there can be a very big difference between the two. Anywhere between 10 to 20 grams is very common.
Example of comparing of serving size (41 g) versus the grams of protein (21 g).
This happens when the protein powder contains a lot of fillers and artificial flavors to give the protein powder a better taste and consistency when blended.
You want to look for a serving size that is close as possible to the grams of actual protein on the label.
Example of maximizing the amount of protein (27g) per scoop of protein (30g).
For example, a serving size may be 2 scoops or 37 grams but only contain 25 grams of protein per serving size. This means the other 12 grams in your scoop could be a combination of fillers, artificial flavors, sugars, and thickeners.
There are some instances where the serving scoop size contains more ‘other ingredients’ than actual protein.
Be suspicious if your nutrition label only lists the servings per container with no serving size (g). You’re most likely drinking less protein than what is listed on the label.
Before buying a protein powder make sure you check the serving size and compare it with the protein (g) listed. You may be actually paying more per gram of protein even if the bottle is cheaper than other brands.
#3 – Pay For Protein NOT Fillers and Artificial Flavorings
High-quality protein powder is expensive because of the cost of the protein extraction process.
To reduce manufacturer costs and drive profit, companies will add fillers, flavorings, and artificial ingredients that bulk up the protein powder, make the drink taste good, and reduce the amount of protein per serving.
Just like you avoid processed foods because they contain artificial ingredients and chemicals that you cannot pronounce you want to apply the same vigilance to your protein powders.
When choosing a protein powder to add to your daily diet buy the highest quality protein powder you can afford with the least amount of filler and artificial flavor content.
Examples of fillers and artificial ingredients are sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, dextrins, maltodextrin xanthan gum, maltodextrin, and cornstarch.
The amount of artificial additives and fillers you consume adds up and could have a negative cumulative effect on your health and your body. Use your dollars to buy better-quality protein that will improve your muscle growth and health.
#4 – Buy Contaminant Free Protein Powder
Despite some regulations of supplements by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), they don’t test protein powder for effectiveness, safety, or purity.
And with thousands of protein powder options, there are many protein powder supplements on the market that do not match up with what’s on the ingredient label. For protein powders on the market that have been independently tested in laboratory tests some, have been shown to be contaminated with heavy metals.
While most supplement companies are not intentionally selling contaminated supplements with heavy metals or harmful chemicals sometimes they don’t even know that their products are contaminated.
Because of the different quality control standards within protein supplement companies, it’s a good idea to choose supplements that have been tested by an independent third party.
Here are three companies in the United States that do third-party testing,
1. NSF International (National Sanitation Foundation) “Certified for Sport”
They do the most comprehensive third-party testing of supplements. A seal by the NSF means that the product has been tested for contaminants and the facility where it’s been made has been audited annually for quality and safety. Supplements with the NSF seal mean that the product has passed its high standards.
NSF certified logo on protein power. Credit: NSF Sport.
2. U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP)
They’ve been around for over 200 years applying rigorous science and setting high public quality standards to protect patient safety. Testing done by USP verifies that what’s in the supplement matches the ingredients label and does not contain harmful levels of specific contaminants.
USP Verfied Seal for protein powers. Credit: USP Dietary Supplements.
3. LGC Group
They run an independent drug surveillance laboratory through Informed-Sport and Informed-Choice programs. A LGC Group seal means that the product has been tested for over 250 substances and it was made in an environment with quality systems that meet the stringent demands of sports nutrition manufacturing.
Informed Sport logo for protein powders. Credit: Informed Sport.
These organizations will have a database of approved supplements to choose from.
You will find that third-party tested protein powders may be more expensive because the testing process is quite involved and expensive. At the same time, protein powder companies that do third-party testing show that they are committed to protecting the health of their customers.
Conclusion
The supplement industry is booming and competing for your hard-earned dollars. When you keep these 4 points in mind you’ll be able to choose a high-quality protein powder to meet your needs and get the most for your money and for the betterment of your health.
Candace is the owner of Rhodes To Strength. She provides weight loss and mindset coaching services to women around the world to create sustainable habits that work for their lifestyle.
You can find her rollerskating, hiking, and bird watching in her spare time.