Choosing a protein supplement shouldn’t be complicated, but the shelves suggest otherwise. Whey concentrate, isolate, hydrolysate, pea, soy, rice, blends, collagen, mass gainers, added sweeteners, sodium, heavy metals - it’s easy to lose sight of what actually matters.
In this episode, we break down the choices and show which differences are meaningful and which are mostly marketing.
We’ll look at why whey concentrate is usually the simplest dairy option, when whey isolate makes sense, and why plant proteins can work perfectly well despite the familiar claim that they’re “incomplete”. We’ll also look at leucine, why it matters more as we age, and how much protein powder you may actually need once you take the protein already in your meal into account.
We also cover what to look for on the label, including sodium, artificial sweeteners and unnecessary additives, plus the recent concerns about lead, cadmium and other heavy metals in protein powders.
The aim is simple: to help you choose a protein supplement that fits your needs, without paying for marketing you don’t need - and without taking more powder than is useful.
