protein powder is by far the most widely
consumed supplement with in the fitness
industry and for good reason it's
convenient contains high quality protein
and it's a lot more cost efficient when
compared to other protein sources and
not only that but it's also one of the
few supplements that's heavily backed by
research in terms of its safety muscle
building properties and several other
benefits however despite the popularity
of protein powder most people are often
left clueless when it comes to how to
choose the best type of protein and even
more so when it comes to how to best use
it to build muscle and unfortunately
asking the sales guy at your local
supplement store will likely just leave
you even more confused or misinformed
than you were to begin with but luckily
in this video I'll clear everything up
for you and show you exactly how to
maximize the effectiveness of protein
powder by looking at the following
points when it comes to picking a
protein powder the sheer amount of
options can definitely be overwhelming
but to keep it simple research indicates
that when compared to other forms of
protein powder whey and casein have the
highest essential amino acid content and
are the best at stimulating muscle
protein synthesis meaning that they're
going to be your best options now as for
the difference between whey and casein
and which one is better it mainly has to
do with their digestive properties whey
is a faster digesting protein that
rapidly spikes protein synthesis for a
short period of time whereas casein is a
slower digesting protein that gradually
increases protein synthesis over a
longer period of time but generally I'd
advise sticking with way over casing
since it has a slightly higher leucine
content and because research such as
this 2015 literature review on the topic
tends to favor way over casein when it
comes to elevating protein synthesis and
promoting gains in muscle mass and more
specifically and recommends sticking to
whey isolate since it's a purist form of
whey protein and contains the least
lactose if that's an issue for you
however with that being said I so see
you later on in this video if you're
seeking to maximize your results then
casein does have a unique
potential application and maybe
something you still want to consider in
addition to way and for vegans who can't
intake whey or casein although research
shows that plant protein powders don't
stimulate muscle protein synthesis as
well as whey or casein does research
also shows that this can be potentially
compensated by ingesting a greater
amount of plant protein or simply
ensuring you in take adequate amino
acids through various food sources which
is just something for you to keep in
mind although most people are firm
believers that protein shakes are meant
to be taken right after your workout
research actually doesn't fully support
this idea for example as shown in this
2013 literature review on the topic
ingesting protein immediately
post-workout doesn't seem to be very
important if you've already had a
pre-workout meal with sufficient protein
multiple other studies support this idea
by emphasizing that this one-hour
post-workout anabolic window may only
apply to fasted training where there's
no pre ingestion of protein whereas if
you've ingested protein some time before
your workout
it essentially renders the timing of
your post-workout shake as useless which
just means that a post-workout shake
isn't as important as we thought it was
if you're in a fed state and in fact if
you haven't had any protein before your
workout research even suggests that
ingesting your shake before your workout
is more beneficial than after
for example this study from the American
Journal of physiology showed that when
subjects in a fasted State ingested
protein before their workout they
experience significantly higher muscle
protein synthesis when compared to
subjects who ingested their protein
immediately after their workout
therefore when it comes to the timing of
your protein shake I'd suggest a
following if you've ingested protein at
some point before your workout a
post-workout shake doesn't seem to be
absolutely necessary meaning you can
have your shake at any time during the
day to simply boost your daily protein
intake however since a post-workout
shake is convenient for most people it's
fast digesting and it helps you spread
out your protein intake throughout the
day it may still very well be the ideal
for you to take it just know that it's
not urgent on the other hand if you
haven't eaten any protein prior to your
workout then just in your shake shortly
before your workout is likely the best
option to maximize protein synthesis and
lastly if you're planning on working out
in a fasted state then adjusting your
shake within an hour so after your
workout seems to be ideal in addition to
this as mentioned earlier to maximize
your results you might also want to
consider ingesting casein protein
powders shortly before bed this is
because multiple recent studies have
found that in taking at least 40 grams
of a slow digesting protein before bed
helps improve overnight muscle protein
synthesis which theoretically leads to
better muscle recovery and growth over
time and since casein is a slow
digesting protein that makes in taking
this 40 grams of protein shortly before
bed more convenient it might be
something you want to incorporate in
addition to your whey protein as for how
much protein to take at a time multiple
studies have arrived at the general
consensus that 20 to 25 grams of a
high-quality protein like whey is
sufficient for maximizing muscle protein
synthesis and is therefore a good
minimum you'd want to aim for when
taking it it's also worth noting though
that having more than this might provide
a small additional benefit with one
recent 2016 paper concluding that in
taking 40 grams of whey protein
stimulated muscle protein synthesis to a
greater extent than a 20 gram dose
regardless of the subjects body weight
and lean body mass but generally it
seems as sticking to a dose of anywhere
between 20 grams to 40 grams is likely
your best bet now as for how often to
take protein this just ultimately
depends on your own total daily protein
requirements you want to prioritize and
taking your protein from food sources
since they provide a variety of other
amino acids and nutrients and then use
protein powders to supplement this if
needed
for example we know that sticking to a
protein intake of roughly 0.732 1 grams
per pound of body weight is ideal so if
a 170 pound individual requires 1
seventy grams of protein a day and can
comfortably intake 130 grams of protein
from real food sources then they could
take 140 grams scoop of protein daily
regardless of if they worked out and off
to help them reach their daily goal and
if you needed to take more than this to
reach your goal that's perfectly fine
whatever helps you hit your daily
protein target conveniently and
consistently is what will be ideal to
keep it simple multiple studies have
shown that although Co ingesting protein
powder with additional carbs and/or fat
does slow down digestion it does not
increase nor decrease muscle protein
synthesis simply meaning that you can
feel free to take your protein with
whatever you prefer
whether that be milk water or something
else however in my opinion if you're
focusing on gaining weight then it can
be helpful to take your protein with
dairy milk for the additional 100 to 200
calories and the extra protein it
provides whereas if you're focusing on
losing fat it might be best to take with
something like almond milk or water
which just helps you conveniently save
an extra couple hundred calories or so
so to sum the video up here are the key
takeaways one thing I want you to keep
in mind though is that as with all
supplements protein powder is not
anything magical and is by no means
necessary to see results however if you
struggle to hit your daily protein
intake through food alone then this is
where it becomes useful and something
for you to consider thanks so much for
watching everyone I hope you enjoyed
this one as far as supplements I've
covered creatine and now protein so let
me know in the comments down below what
you'd like to see me cover next and I'll
do just that and as always guys if
you're looking for a complete
evidence-based program that shows you
how to optimize your training and your
nutrition in order to reach your goal
physique then simply head on over to
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courses where you can choose a program
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