Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Optimal Protein Blends - for carnivores and vegetarians alike

The following post offers some quick suggestions for tuning your protein types to optimize uptake depending on activity.

Carter Schoffer once explained to me why different kinds of proteins are a good idea, rather than using the usual Whey Protein Isolate by whatever company. The reason that has a lot to do with it (if i'm reflecting this correctly) is absorption rate matching to task.

After a hard training session when the muscles are crying out for amino acids, a fast digesting protein is a good idea. For vegans, gemma or pea protein seems to have the best profile. For dairy-ok folks, hydrolyzed whey has the best profile - better than isolate.

For protein during the day and over night, when you want to slow down the absorption rate, and have a more steady state feed of protein happening, slower absorbing proteins.
For vegans, hemp protein is a slow digesting source. Here's a resource comparing different protein types, too. (if that link goes awry, here's another).

For dairy-ok folks looking for anytime protein, casein/milk blends are a good idea. Especially if you follow Precision Nutrition's of protein and greens with every feeding, and need the convenience of say a Super Shake during the day, this second protein variant is great to have.

You can shop for protein powders that pre tin these particular blends. Or you can custom mix the blends you want at (there's also a There are several advantages to the TP approach. One of them is experimentation: you can order a pound of any kind of blend you'd like or any flavouring you'd like and not be stuck with a ton of it.

For instance, Luke Neilsen recommends this blend for a great anytime protein.
Milk Protein Isolate - 30%
Micellar Casein - 30%
Whey Protein Isolate Cold-Filtration -40%
It's recommended to include the aminogen protease and i prefer the BSL flavouring system but there again you can use any flavour/sweetener combo you'd like.

The price works out to 1-3 dollars a pound LESS than Metabolic drive, Evopro by Cytosport, or Propeptide.

Now if you do want to use pre-packed blend, i'd recommend (aka - they have excellent prices, good shipping, and frequent 10% off offers for returning customers. They're also very fast at responding to customer queries.

For the blends and customer service, TP is hard to beat. They also do some bulk supplements as well, so it's worth comparing prices regularly between and TP.

If you do order from trueprotein, you're welcome to use my discount code as well for 5% off your next order. The code is MCS110 - you'll enter it at the end of the order cycle.


Casey said...

Thanks a lot for the heads up on True Protein! What a cool site! I've been meaning to find an optimal vegan protein source. Veganism didn't work for me, but plant based protein is something I've kept in my diet. My system responds really well to it, and being able to customize what I consume is just too cool.

Shaf said...

Didn't you review Lyle McDonald's "The Protein Book" somewhere?

An exhaustive treatise on the whole topic.

Unknown said... is a good option for anyone in the UK. Their "Total Protein" blend is a good all rounder.

dr. m.c. said...

Richard, i agree that is a goodie for the UK. it seems every company to be competetive has to have an evopro kind of product - people expect it, but i prefer mp's "separates"

I own i have gone off "all rounders" for the reasons in the piece. The whey isolate is too fast for best use during the day, eh? it kinda burns up before receipt and it's not as fast as it could be for post work out. So why base the all rounder with it?

also, total protein has glutamine in it, and unless you're working at altitude or bleeding, you don't need it.

So i tend to get straight stuff from myprotein rather than anything attempting "all rounders" to avoid waste and ingredients i don't want.

Shaf, i haven't seen McDonald's protein book but will look out for it. Meanwhile, i trust Carter's and Luke's work in this area. was there something you were thinking of in particular?

Casey, nice to see you as always. TP is fun for sure to let you dabble in flavour combos, too.

thanks all for stopping by.

L. Wu said...

The PN attachment at the link you posted seems to be members only ATM, alas, and I'm not a PN member yet!

Any other suggestions? I'm allergic to some cow milk protein, probably casein, and it's probably a good idea to try non-whey protein sources to be sure..

I've been trying NutriBiotic since vegan RKC Mike Mahler used to use it, but am contemplating whether or not it's worth trying out the newer (more expensive) Sun Warrior rice protein.

Just saw this,

" thing to remember is that if you take whey or Soy protein for a long time, you will eventually develop an allergy to them. Most body builders know this and will switch proteins every 5 to 6 months. The nice thing about Sunwarrior is that it is Hypoallergenic meaning that it does not develop allergies."

hmm, needs investigating methinks.

dr. m.c. said...

i don't know where mike is getting that claim about allergy development from - and without some kind of support that would be hard to credit.

While it's grand to have variety for all sorts of reasons in our bods, that one, well i'd just like to see the backing to the assertion.

The main issue is quality. that means do you know the source producing the stuff follows good manufacturing practice?

after that it's just personal preference.



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