Wake up, pee, roll down to the kitchen and make my pre-workout shake of Glutamine, 1/4 scoop protein powder and a pinch of pre-workout, plus water.
Every day. Same thing. It works for me, after lots of experimentation.
Using protein powder to enhance distance training is entirely a personal choice! It’s not a must or a requirement, no matter what anyone tells you.
For me and many of my athletes it’s the most effective way to ensure we eat enough protein during high volume training months. Not only is this important for energy, but to prevent muscle loss which results in gaining fat and less powerful running.
Read more about maintaining muscle during marathon training >>
Leading to the obvious question…what is the best protein powder for women, for runners, for men?
How to Judge Quality?
Above and beyond the form of protein, the first focus has to be the quality of the supplement.
Many of the cheaper brands are filled with chemicals that will only slow your body down as it attempts to process these foreign substances. Leading to stomach pains, bloating and digestive issues.
Things to avoid:
- MSG
- Artificial Sweeteners like aspartame, saccharin, maltodextrin
- GMOs
- Toxic heavy metals are found in many of those cheap store brands
- NSF certified which means athletes can happily use it in competition
The best protein powder is one that doesn’t contain things that are going to make you bloated, feel bad and actually contains enough protein to be of benefit. Important to note that your body can only absorb about 30 grams at a time, so if you’re sucking down 60grams then you’re just creating some very expensive urine.
What Type of Protein?
Now on to the type of protein. Because I’m dairy free, I tend to use only plant based protein powders which include things like pea and brown rice protein.
However, many who are dairy-free have no problem with whey protein isolates as the lactose is usually removed. This is one to test for yourself and find out how you feel because studies are showing some added benefits when using whey.
Over the years I have tested out a whole slew of flavors and brands, much of that is going to come down to preference once you’ve found a quality powder.
A quick break down of the most popular protein types and benefits:
Whey Protein
Unlike the other powders, whey protein contains components which are found to have additional benefits to performance and healthy. CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) helps prevent cancer and improve cardiovascular health.
It contains leucine which is critical for muscle building.
It is digested faster which allows for quicker muscle growth stimulation.
It has also been shown in studies to enhance recovery due to the complete amino acid profile.
It boosts glutathione which helps the body to remove free radicals that cause cell damage.
PurAthlete is a whey hdryolysate, which means it’s a predigested form of whey that has dairy allergens removed and is more easily digested (huge for endurance athletes whose digestive systems are often working over time or shut down to blood being diverted to our limbs!).
Egg Protein Powder
Made from egg whites, it’s low in calories and carbohydrates, dairy free and can be a great source of vitamins depending upon the quality of the eggs. It has a slow release which can be beneficial to muscle growth.
If the powder is low quality, you could be exposed to antibiotics and salmonella among other things. A great option for making things like pancakes!
Decoding the benefits and drawbacks of different types of protein powder from whey to pea #sportsnutrition Click To TweetSoy Protein Powder
As always there are some amazing products out there, but I’m cautious about using a concentrated form of soy on a regular basis due to all the conflicting science. For Vegans, soy contains all amino acids, as well as the full B-vitamin complex, which are both things that many non-meat eaters find lacking in the diet.
Pea/Brown Rice Protein Powder
For those with food sensitives this is the best option and of course completely Vegan as well. It could be part of a protein rotation to get the benefits of whey and the switch up to prevent creating food sensitives.
It contains nearly as many BCAA’s as whey protein.
It’s easy to digest, putting the protein to work right away and preventing bloating.
It’s high in protein, low in carbohydrates and gluten free.
It can help to regulate your blood sugar levels.
Hemp Protein Powder
Did you know that pro-athletes can’t use hemp seeds or powder?! It’s not a drug, but apparently it’s too closely related for those regulators.
Another Vegan option, hemp provides omega-3 and omega-6 in the perfect ratio, which has a slew of benefits from reducing PMS issues to assisting with high blood pressure. However, hemp is higher in calories and slightly lower in total protein when compared to other sources and that could be a concern if the focus is weight loss.
Dr. Axe has created a great little graphic which breaks down the benefits. 
It goes without saying that our goal should always be to focus on whole healthy foods as much as possible. But for athletes it’s often difficult to get in enough nutrients without the help of a quality supplement.
I simply can’t process larges amounts of protein either animal or plant based, so a powder has been hugely beneficial to my routine as I was often hitting less than 40 grams a day…a great way to be skinny fat.
But if you’re doing a protein shake followed immediately by a steak and potato, it’s overkill!
So back to our original question, what is the best protein powder? Science would say if you don’t have any dairy allergies, whey is the top choice for men and women. After that it comes down to your body, your goals and taste buds!
How often do you use protein powder?
What do you look for in a powder?
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Read Next: Protein Timing for Body Fat Loss >>
TheDimpledRunner says
I have been on the lookout for a great protein powder that is plant-based. Only thing is I need one that I can take if I was pregnant as I don’t want to risk anything (I’m a planner and worrier;). So far the only one my doc agreed I could use when I was pregnant with my son was disgusting. haha I’ll ask my doc about the one you and your husband use!! Thank you!
amanda says
This powder is not plant based as it uses Whey, which is why David can use it, but I can’t. Just to be clear!
Julie @ Running in a Skirt says
Great tips! I knew about the different kinds but not all the differences. I feel even more educated looking for my next bottle.
Laura says
This is super helpful! I started adding protein powder to my smoothies after I had my 3rd baby! I never get enough protein and I was feeling so tired. I found a delicious dairy-free, soy-free plant-based powder that I’m in love with! YAY!
Mick says
Great post and great info.! I’ve always done whey but I’ll have to give the others a shot.
Sandra Laflamme says
I use protein powder in smoothies and often for recovery. I always try to go for the most pure. And of course organic if I can find it. I hadn’t heard of this brand before so will have to check it out!
Alisa @ Go Dairy Free says
I had no idea pro-athletes couldn’t use hemp protein – that’s insane! When I do use protein powder, I’m all about pea protein.
Taylor Kiser says
So much great information and tips! Really a helpful post to wade through all the choices on the market so that the right protein powder can be found!
Bodynsoil says
Great article on proteins. I’ve found that within the whey family there are timing advantages to the different types. Casein is slow digesting and good before bed, isolate is fast digesting and great for post workout. At times I like to mix casein pudding right before bed as it helps with sleep and I’ve read that it helps to release GH.
Heather @ FITaspire says
What a great article – there are so many options available and everyone has a different opinion, so I love this guide to help choose the right oen for you. :) I use protein powder before or after my workouts and sometimes for a quick snack smoothie. Honestly, taste is SUPER important to me, although of course it has to be a high quality protein that won’t make my stomach upset (lactose-intolerant). :)
Kimberly Werner says
Have you found a lactose-free whey shake?
amanda says
Well a lot of them claim that, but I’ve found for myself and others that the whey often still bothers the stomach. I prefer to stick to pea, and brown rice protein, but egg white is a great option too.
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
I missed the days of sticking to my morning routine- now with a 3 year old in the mix, every morning is an adventure! Thanks for sharing your expertise and all of this top quality info. I thought it was really interesting to learn that pro-athletes can’t use hemp products!
Sarah- A Whisk and Two Wands says
I got in spurts of using it daily and using it about every other day post strength training. I use Vega and have only tried a couple others in recent years. I recently found another I like that I’m rotating in but strictly for protein and nutrition not for post workout and to mix things up (no BCAA’s and other things I look for). I haven’t tried whey proteins in years… not being vegan anymore maybe I should try it again and see how my body does. I do also use more protein milks now since the girls are loving it and it’s there and try to rotate things more.
Chrissa - Physical Kitchness says
Ok love this post! So many protein powders are full of JUNK! This is really helpful. I just tried Kashi’s plant based powder and it was really good!
Emily Kyle says
This is such a great resource! I am admittedly not up to date with protein powders, so this is a great article to keep on hand!
Lindsay Cotter says
Such a great post! Lots of helpful information!
Wendy says
This is such great information! I’ve only found one vegan protein powder that I really liked and probably just need to try more variety. I’m pretty sure I’ve never tried pea protein.
Brian says
Awesome information! I often just go with whey protein, but I’ll have to try out more pea and rice protein. Thanks for sharing!
Jake Tyler says
Nice sharing with many helpful tips. I’m often confused with all these things, so this article is really a life-saver for me.
Julia Walters says
This article is so informative. I have never known those different protein powder. Thanks for sharing this blog post with us. I’m not familiar with hemp protein. and thanks to your article, now I know what type of protein powder I should be using. Which is your favorite protein powder from your list?