Whey Protein

Whey protein, also known as the king of proteins, is an important component of breast milk, accounting for 60% of breast milk protein. Whey protein is also the most expensive protein on the market because it is derived from milk, but only 20% of milk protein is whey protein, unlike breast milk.

The best feature of whey protein is that it is absorbed very quickly, and within 30 minutes of eating it, it is broken down into amino acids and utilized. Moreover, when whey protein enters the body, it will be broken down into a large number of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which are important substances for building muscle and can help build muscle. For this reason, people with fitness needs consider whey protein as their first choice.

The percentage of branched-chain amino acids per 100 grams of whey protein is 25%, much higher than milk protein and isolated soy protein. But the problem whey protein can have is lactose.

Depending on the process, whey protein is divided into:

1) Whey Protein Concentrate: the most common form, contains a small amount of lactose.

2) Isolated Whey Protein: Contains more than 90% protein and almost no lactose, this type of whey protein, lactose intolerant people can also try.

3) Hydrolyzed Whey Protein: Protein that has been hydrolyzed and doesn’t require too much digestion to break down.

Overall, whey protein is highly utilized, fast absorbed, and has a high percentage of branched-chain amino acids, but it is relatively expensive and contains lactose.

Egg Protein Egg Protein

Eggs have the highest protein biological value of any natural food, which is the degree to which the body can utilize it after eating it. The body can utilize egg protein even more than beef, fish and milk. Egg protein does not contain lactose, which does not cause intolerance problems. If you are severely lactose intolerant and get bloated when you eat whey protein, then you can try eating egg protein.

Eggs are also fairly high in branched-chain amino acids (valine, isoleucine, leucine), but not as high as whey protein, and they are absorbed more slowly, so they are not as effective at building muscle as whey protein, but they are still a pretty good protein choice overall. Another feature of egg protein is that it is cheap and readily available.

Pros: high bioavailability and high percentage of branched-chain amino acids to aid in muscle growth.

Cons: Avoid egg protein if you are allergic to eggs.

Pea Protein

Pea protein is a newcomer to the scene in recent years and is especially sought after by vegetarians.

First of all, pea protein has no hormone-like substances, no trypsin inhibitors that hinder protein absorption, but does contain phytic acid that can interfere with mineral absorption. However, peas have less than 1/10th of the phytic acid of soybeans.The great thing about pea protein is that it has the highest branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) of any plant protein, which gives it great muscle-building benefits.

A 12-week randomized, double-blind trial in 2015 showed that pea protein was no less effective at building muscle than whey protein.

The downside of it is that some people find it tough and don’t get the taste. Also because it is a vegetable protein, it is not digested as fast as animal proteins and is not composed of a full range of amino acids.

Pea protein uses yellow peas.

Pros: no gluten, no lactose, high in branched chain amino acids (good for muscle building), can lower blood pressure.

Disadvantages: unpalatable, low bioavailability.

Casein Protein

When it comes to whey proteins, you have to mention casein proteins. This is because they always appear in pairs.

Casein is also a component of breast milk, making up about 40% of breast milk and 80% of cow’s milk. Casein is a complete protein, but nowhere near as effective as whey protein when it comes to muscle building. This is because casein has a complex structure, turns into a curd-like lump when it enters the stomach, and takes longer to digest, so casein doesn’t get the amino acid concentration in the blood up as quickly as whey protein.

However, casein is an endurance protein and can raise blood amino acid levels for a “long time”. While whey protein’s effect lasts for the first 2.5-3 hours, casein’s effect lasts for up to 8 hours. For this reason, many athletes use casein as a pre-bedtime supplement. Casein functions to slow down the rate at which muscles are destroyed as opposed to whey protein, which quickly aids in muscle growth. The best muscle building results are achieved when casein is paired with whey protein.

It should be noted that a small percentage of people with autoimmune diseases may be allergic to casein, so it is recommended to test a small amount first.

Pros: longer duration of action, weight loss, prevention of osteoporosis and dental caries, lower triglycerides, blood pressure.

Disadvantages: Less effective in muscle building, casein allergy in people with autoimmune diseases.