Which Protein Powder Is Best for You?
Everyone at every age needs protein. In this blog, we explain why protein supplementation is important and which protein source is best for which goal.
What Is Protein Powder? | What are essential amino acids? | What protein powder is best for my goal? | What to look for when buying a protein supplement | Conclusion
What Is Protein Powder and Why Do You Need It?
Protein is a macronutrient essential for everything from building muscle to maintaining skin and bone health. Protein powder is made by extracting protein from natural sources like milk (whey/casein), eggs, soy, peas, rice, or hemp, then processing it into a fine powder. For better consumption it’s often with added flavours, sweeteners (like stevia or sugar), thickeners, vitamins, and minerals for taste, texture, and nutritional boost.
Muscle tissue and recover
Although most people use a protein powder post-workout to aid in muscle recovery and growth, it can be an incredibly beneficial tool in your anti-ageing regimen. This is because as you get older (starting from age 30!) *]. Your muscle tissues start to break down – also known as sarcopenia – and here’s where a protein powder comes in. In addition to training, and specifically resistance training [*], it can help maintain muscle mass in older adults [*].
How much protein per day?
How much protein do you need for this? This depends on how much you weigh. The general calculation is 1-2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. Getting enough through food alone can sometimes be challenging. That’s when a protein powder comes in handy.
What are essential amino acids?
To determine which protein powder is best for your personal goal, we need to explain the concept of amino acids. Amino acids are a protein's building blocks- divided into essential and non-essential amino acids. Non-essential amino acids your body makes itself. Essential amino acids (EAAs), as the name implies, are essential because your body cannot produce them. Food is the only source of them. Complete protein supplements contain all nine essential amino acids, giving you a balanced mix of amino acids.
Individually, EAAs act on different pathways in the body. Each of the protein supplements below contains one to three essential amino acids more, less or in higher amounts than the others and is, therefore, suitable for a different purpose. Let's take a look at what the best protein sources are for your personal goal.
What protein powder is best for my goal?
Whey Protein Powder for muscle growth
For the best protein for muscle growth and post workout recovery we often look at whey. Whey has a higher biological value than plant proteins, meaning it contains all the amino acids your body needs. Its complete amino acid profile makes whey a high-quality protein. Whey contains the highest amount of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). These three essential amino acids are particularly important for muscle growth and training performance [*], [*].
Whey protein has many other special properties. It contains some special immunological ingredients that mother milk also contains, provided the whey protein is not too processed. You can read more about that here.
NoordCode Pure Whey is a whey protein concentrate derived from organic Alpine cows grazing in pastures all year round. The whey protein is processed at low temperatures for 15 seconds and without irradiation to preserve the glutathione-promoting components as much as possible.
Plant Based Protein Best For Gut Health?
Is a plant based protein complete? It’s a common myth that plant proteins are incomplete. In truth, plant proteins contain all nine essential amino acids if in the right combination from different sources. Combined, they come close to protein from animal sources. [*] Another advantage of plant proteins is that they contain valuable components such as fibre and polyphenols.
For the vegetarians and vegans among us, as well as those with lactose intolerance, plant-based alternatives, like hemp, brown rice and pea protein, are well-researched sources of protein.
Diversify your protein
Whey is a dairy product. With frequent use, some people notice more strain on digestion. Alternating with plant protein gives your system a break.
NoordCode Pure Plant Protein combines three high-quality plant-based proteins—pea, hemp, and brown rice—to create a complete and balanced amino acid profile. Pure Plant Protein is perfect for anyone aiming to support muscle growth, recovery, and maintenance, offering the same functionality as whey protein, but in a plant-based, organic form.
Collagen good for skin recovery?
About a third of all the protein in your body is collagen. It is found in your bones, muscles, skin, intestines, tendons, heart, eyes, brain and between your cells. As you age, you lose collagen. That's why you want to replenish it with nutrition. And with a collagen supplement, you can be sure you're getting enough.
Keep in mind that collagen is not a primary protein source - nor a good protein substitute! The number of BCAAs in collagen is very low. You take collagen purely because of the amino acid glycine.
Furthermore, recent scientific studies point to the following benefits of collagen for the appearance of your skin:
- Maintains normal appearance of the skin.
- Reduces visible signs of ageing.
- Maintaining normal hydration of the skin.
- Maintain normal elasticity of the skin.
NoordCode Pure Collagen comes from grass-fed Alpine cows. The hydrolysis process preserves its nutritional value and makes it a highly absorbable protein. It supports a youthful and elastic skin.
Another excellent choice is NoordCode Complete Collagen. Complete Collagen contains 5 types of collagen from 3 sources of collagen hydrolysate. It is derived from clean sustainable sources from land and sea. Collagen from beef, fish, and eggshell membranes provide you with collagen types I, II, III, V, and X. It contains vitamin C from acerola to support collagen production.
Pure Collagen and Complete Collagen are enzymatically processed to leave their peptides undamaged. This results in a highly bioavailable protein.
What to look for when buying a protein powder
After you have selected your personal choice of protein, there are other things to consider when selecting a protein powder.
Look for clean ingredients
Sweeteners, artificial flavors, food coloring, fillers, and thickeners are often used in protein powder, and some contain more of them than others. There are exceptions, but generally, you want to look for protein powders with fewer ingredients on the label or make sure you understand what the ingredients are.
Is protein powder safe?
If you buy from a European manufacturer, you can almost be sure that what is on the label will match what is in the supplement. This is due to the very strict regulations of the European Union. And if you are in doubt, always ask for third party testing done for contaminants, heavy metals and amino acid scores.
Conclusion
With the right combination of different sources, plant-based proteins can offer similar benefits to animal proteins. The completeness, digestibility, and bioavailability of amino acids are key factors, regardless of whether they come from a plant-based or animal source. [*]
Essential amino acids impact various systems in the body. Each of the protein powders discussed contains one to three essential amino acids in slightly higher or lower amounts. It’s important to choose one that best suits your personal needs.
Whether you opt for a plant-based or animal protein powder, always look for a clean formula from a traceable, high-quality source, carefully produced with attention to detail.
Does one of our high-quality protein supplements appeal to you? Then go to our webshop for more information or to order directly.
