- October 31, 2018
- Sports nutrition
- Tatyana Andreeva
Every athlete knows about the benefits of protein for the human body. Protein supplements are necessary when playing any sport. With their help, athletes solve a number of problems: gain muscle mass, dry out before competitions, satisfy hunger, achieve better results and get rid of excess fat. This article will talk about carb-free protein and how to take it correctly.
Essence of Protein
Before delving into the topic, it is necessary to remember the purpose of protein. Protein is the main component of the human body after water. It is from it that living muscles, organs and tissues are formed. In addition, the body uses protein as a source of energy, breaking it down at the right time.
Protein is found in many foods: cottage cheese, meat, poultry, fish, liver milk and others. If you prepare your diet correctly, it is not difficult to provide the body with the necessary amount of the substance. But there is a problem: ordinary products contain not only proteins, but also a large amount of carbohydrates and fats, which must be limited in order to lose weight. In such a situation, the best option would be to purchase a carbohydrate-free protein. It is able to cover the protein needs of muscles without unnecessary ingredients.
It is also worth noting that the body’s protein needs when playing sports are enormous. A drying athlete's body needs two grams of the substance per kilogram of body daily. It is almost impossible to get such an amount of protein from food, and even without fats and carbohydrates.
How to choose a safe protein?
Choosing a Protein Powder
To begin with, it’s worth saying that the best protein is natural products. Fish, meat, eggs are always the best choice over protein powder, even the highest quality. It is animal proteins that contain a more complete set of twenty essential amino acids. Amino acids of animal origin are absorbed better and provide greater benefits to the body.
However, eating steak for dinner is not always possible, while protein is almost always in short supply for those who do not watch their diet. The body does not store it for future use, unlike fats and carbohydrates, so a protein shake is a simple and effective solution to this problem.
The most popular type of protein powder is whey. For those who are vegan or have problems digesting lactose, there are plant-based protein powders - rice, peas or hemp.
The main danger is the content of artificial colors, allergenic preservatives and heavy metals, pesticides and bacteria. For the latter, damp protein powder is an ideal breeding ground, so when choosing, we carefully look at the integrity of the packaging and close the lid tightly during use.
According to the Clean Label Project, the most dangerous protein powders are plant-based. It was in them that significantly higher concentrations of bisphenol A, cadmium and lead were found. Whey protein powders came in second, and the purest was elite egg protein, the choice of many professional athletes.
When choosing a particular protein, you should look not only at its form (concentrate, isolate or hydrolyzate), which affects the degree of digestibility, but also at the composition and types of protein. Remember - the most expensive brands are those that contain several types of protein. We bypass cheap options with vegetable protein if you have no contraindications and beliefs about animal protein.
It is important to be able to read the composition and ratio of proteins/fats/carbohydrates, the presence of dyes and understand what gives protein its taste. An excellent choice would be regular vanilla or chocolate flavor, which does not require special substances. Such protein, even purchased in large doses, rarely gets boring with constant use.
You need to make sure there are no trans fats, a low amount of carbohydrates, a large amount of protein (over 20 grams) per serving (stingy). Please note the presence of a certification badge and the name of the manufacturer with all details for identification.
Which protein should you choose?
We present to you the top 5 proteins on the popular site IHerb.com that meet all the requirements and are a quality product:
California Gold Nutrition Neutral Flavored Whey Protein Isolate, SPORT
Contains 27 grams of protein per serving and is made exclusively from Grade A whey. This whey is ultra-low lactose and produced through a multi-stage cold microfiltration process using state-of-the-art membrane technology. Contains no artificial sweeteners, colors or flavors, fillers, gluten, GMOs, soy, or recombinant bovine somatotropin.
Buy
2.100% Whey Protein Isolate, Gourmet Chocolate from Dymatize Nutrition
Special ISO100 protein formula that is produced to the highest quality standards. ISO100 is formulated using cross-flow microfiltration, a multi-stage purification process that retains important muscle-building protein fractions while removing excess carbohydrates, fat, lactose and cholesterol.
Buy
California Gold Nutrition Vegan Cinnamon Roll Flavored Plant Protein
Contains 20 g of protein per serving from pea protein isolate, brown rice protein concentrate, flax seeds, chia seeds and sprouted black rice. This product also contains essential amino acids and a premium fruit and vegetable blend.
Buy
Egg White Protein Powder from Now Foods, Sports
Egg white of the highest quality, supplemented with a complex of amino acids. This type of protein is pasteurized, which inactivates the avidin glycoprotein. Therefore, biotin enrichment is not necessary for this product, and therefore does not create additional stress on the body. The excellent ratio of BJU in one serving is 20/0/2.
Buy
Egg white, white, vanilla flavor from MRM
A quality protein blend that contains natural egg whites, natural vanilla flavor, sunflower lecithin, stevia leaf extract, xanthan gum, monk fruit extract and a blend of digestion-enhancing enzymes (protease 6.0, protease 4.5, peptidase and bromelain).
Buy
Types of proteins by degree of purification
The initial raw materials prepared for protein isolation and purification contain a large amount of substances: fatty acids, sugars and other components.
In order to obtain the purest possible protein, special filtration methods are used:
- Concentrates. As a result of such purification, the output is a product whose protein content ranges from 70 to 95%.
- Isolates (isolation of the required substance using ion exchange). Allows you to obtain a supplement with a protein component from 95 to 99%.
- Hydrolysates (carbohydrate-free protein). After such purification, the protein concentration ranges from 99 to 100%.
Which type is best for weight loss
The concentrate contains the smallest amount of pure protein and a significant amount of unnecessary components: lactose, carbohydrates, fats, lactoglobulin and others. This product is most often used for muscle gain, as it contains a lot of calories. When losing weight, it is used quite rarely, and only in isolated cases, mainly to replenish the required amount of substances with an almost complete exclusion of carbohydrates from the diet.
Hydrolyzate is a carbohydrate-free protein. It has a pronounced bitter taste and is not very pleasant to the taste, but the fat and carbohydrate content in this supplement is zero. It should be noted that it is highly expensive. It is because of this that athletes prefer to use isolates.
Isolate is considered a low-carbohydrate protein. This type of sports nutrition has a pleasant taste, average cost and is ideal for those who want to get dry or lose extra pounds.
Any of these types of protein can be isolated from both animal and plant fibers. The raw materials used are ordinary high-quality food products - eggs, meat, milk and its derivatives, soybeans, legumes, cereals, and so on. Whey isolate is the most popular in sports nutrition. But what about those who are lactose intolerant or vegetarian? In this case, soy protein is perfect. In terms of its properties, it is slightly inferior to other types.
How to choose the right product?
To lose weight, choose a protein without added sugar or dextrins/maltodextrins (starch sweeteners). Additionally, choose ones with added branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), as they promote muscle growth, but not fat.
The best choice for weight loss is whey isolate.
Whey isolate is virtually fat-free for those looking to eliminate as much fat as possible from their diet. This is usually lactose for those few people who are very sensitive to the low levels of lactose found in whey concentrate.
Package
Packaging significantly affects the price of the product and how convenient it will be to take the protein on the road or during transportation. The usual, so to speak, packaging (can and bag), most often, has a large volume and weight, and is the best option, never take protein in bulk, do not risk your health.
Compound
The main thing we look for on the packaging is the protein content in the mixture. The best choice is the one with the highest protein content per serving. Since we have determined that whey isolate is best for weight loss, it should contain 24-25 grams of protein per serving.
Also pay attention to the origin of the protein. Often, along with normal protein, vegetable protein with a low BC and poor amino acid composition is also used. This is done in order to make protein cheaper; such a product is worth going a mile for the sake of your health.
What is used instead of sugar?
There are two categories of sweeteners - safe and hazardous to health. Safe ones are also divided into two types - natural: such as Steviazid, Neogrispedin, Gritserizin (licorice), Thaumatin, Sorbitol. And synthetic ones - Sucralose.
Dangerous and toxic sweeteners - Aspartame, Saccharin, Cyclamate, Acesulfame potassium.
So, if you see any of these dangerous substances in the composition, it is better to put it back on the shelf.
What is soy isolate?
This protein powder is isolated from soy and is a plant protein. It is believed that it has an incomplete amino acid composition, but this does not make it less popular. Soy isolate is not only a carbohydrate-free protein, but also a real boon for vegetarian and vegan athletes. The plant itself is unique; it contains many useful substances: protein, phosphorus, iron, potassium, calcium, B vitamins. Let us list the main beneficial properties of soy protein:
- Quickly absorbed.
- Reduces blood cholesterol levels.
- Does not contain lactose.
- Suitable for diabetics.
- Has antioxidant properties.
- Regulates female hormonal levels.
- Stimulates the production of tyrosine derivatives.
- Reasonable price.
Pureprotein soy protein
This is a protein complex from the domestic manufacturer PureProtein. The supplement helps build muscle, increases strength and adds energy. Its advantage is its low fat and carbohydrate content, as well as its reasonable price. Protein powder has a balanced amino acid composition and pleasant taste, and is also great for weight loss.
How to use?
Protein supplements are taken one to three times daily. The first dose should be in the morning, the next doses would be advisable to take before/after training, depending on your sports goals and protein needs. To prepare a cocktail, mix a portion of protein (30 g) in a glass of any liquid; athletes usually use milk.
To increase the effectiveness of protein powder, experts advise combining it with other types of sports nutrition: BCAAs, L-carnitine and creatine.
Where to buy?
The best choice would be to buy protein from well-known brands in specialized sports nutrition stores. A counterfeit product or a product of an unknown brand most often contains low-quality components that may not only fail to fulfill its function, but also harm your health.
When purchasing, check the integrity of the packaging and expiration date of this product.
We also recommend that you carefully study the instructions for this sports supplement before use.
