If you are in the market for a protein powder, it’s important to consider the different types and look into what a protein blend may have to offer. Many people are already familiar with whey protein powder, isolate protein powder, and casein protein powder, but they don’t really understand what a protein blend means.
So what is a blend protein powder? And more importantly, how can it help you? We will cover all this and more in the article.
What Is A Protein Blend?
First, let’s talk about what this is. A whey protein powder blend for example is a whey protein powder that also contains other protein variations. So it may also have egg protein, soy protein, casein protein, or another type entirely.
Usually a combination you’ll find is egg protein, casein protein, and whey protein. These three tend to go together well, so you’ll see them in many of the top rated protein blends.
Other blends might include just whey protein and casein protein. And still others, just whey protein and isolate protein powder.
There are many different combinations out there and that’s why it’s important to understand what each protein powder does.
Blended Protein Powder Benefits
So what are the benefits of a protein blend? First, you’ll get two types of protein working for you. For instance, if you are looking to combine a fast and slow releasing protein so that you get amino acids to the muscle tissues quickly but then also maintain a sustained release, you’ll want to look for a casein and isolate blend. These will give you the best of both worlds since they contain those two types of protein.
Second, if you are someone who can’t tolerate lactose all that well, you might look for a blend of whey isolate (which does contain small amounts of lactose) and egg protein, which doesn’t contain lactose at all. By using this protein blend, you may find that it doesn’t bother you as much as if you were using just a whey concentrate.
Another benefit of using protein powder blends is the fact that it can be more cost effective to do so. Take isolate protein powder for instance. This is created from whey, is an exceptionally high quality type of protein, and definitely does come at a cost. It will be more expensive than your basic whey protein powder.
If you are on a budget, you may look for a whey and isolate blend. This way, you still get some of the benefits that the isolate has to offer, but you get it at a cheaper price because there is also the lower priced protein combined with it. This can be perfect for those who are just starting out and don’t need to worry so much about getting 100% pure isolate.
Micellar casein protein powder is another type of protein powder that many people want to reap the benefits of because it digests very slowly, so can help decrease appetite and provide maximum anabolism. But yet, it doesn’t mix so well and definitely doesn’t taste so great, at least most of the time.
The solution around this? A whey and casein protein blend, also sometimes known as a sustained protein blend. By mixing together some of the casein with whey protein powder, it tastes great and you’ll have an easier time mixing it than you would with just casein.
Is it as delicious as a whey would be? Probably not, but it’s likely manageable so it’s a trade-off you’re willing to make to get those benefits in order to promote maximum muscle growth.
So as you can see, there are many advantages to using whey protein powder blends. This is why we see them so often in stores today. If you have a look at your current protein powder, you may be surprised to see that you are already using a blend. Some people buy them and don’t even realize it.
What To Look For When Shopping For A Protein Blend
So what should you look for when shopping for a protein blend?
The first thing you obviously want to look for is that you are getting it from a respectable company. Just as you would if you were purchasing a regular protein powder, you’ll want to research up on the company and make sure they are backed by solid feedback.
Second, you’ll want to consider the types of proteins found in the blend. There are many different types of proteins you can take in:
- Whey
- Casein
- Isolate
- Soy
- Hemp
- Egg
- Brown rice
- Pea
- Rice
Generally speaking, you’ll see these grouped into two categories: dairy protein blends (sometimes with egg) as well as plant protein blends.
If you look at some of the vegetarian protein options out there, they are usually always blends. This is because protein blends in this regard help ensure that you get the full amino acid spectrum, whereas if you just used one protein type (just pea protein for instance), you’d be falling short.
Then the dairy protein powder blends typically contain whey, casein and isolate, in some combination.
When shopping for these protein powder blends, always look at the ingredient line-up. You can note the order in which the protein powders are listed. This will give you a clue as to which is the primary protein powder.
For instance, a protein powder that lists whey, casein and isolate proteins in that order will not be as quick digesting as a protein powder that lists isolate, whey, and casein.
By using this information, you can ensure that the protein blend you purchase is going to help you out in the manner you wish. If you were using the protein powder for post workouts for instance after resistance training, you’d want to get as much isolate as you can as this is most important at this time.
If the blend you buy is casein, whey concentration, egg protein, and whey isolate, then you know you aren’t getting a very fast digesting protein at all. There may be very little actual whey isolate protein powder in that protein blend.
Finally, like with any protein powder out there, you’ll also want to check out the stats and the ingredients. If the protein powder is rich in dietary fat and sugar, this is not the most ideal protein powder for keeping you lean. Chances are, it’s not that high quality and will contain plenty of fillers as well.
One way to check this out is to read the ingredients listing. Are there many ingredients you can’t pronounce? That’s your first clue this protein powder is not all that it’s cracked up to be and probably isn’t a gold standard level protein blend.
If you are still struggling, read some reviews on the best protein blend protein powders. Most often these proteins are ranked so you can see which got the most favorable reviews and you can use this to help guide your decision.
Conclusion
There you have it, some important details about protein blends to keep in mind as you go about shopping for your perfect protein powder. Always remember as well that nothing says you can’t necessarily make your own blend either. Buy a tub of whey isolate protein powder along with a tub of casein protein and then you can control how much of each you get into your day. However you choose to do it, using a protein blend is almost always a good idea.
Shop online today for a good protein blend.
