Making a decision on which is the best protein water for you can be fairly difficult – not only do you have to choose between whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate and whey protein blends… but there are hundreds of different products under each category too.
So, to make things easier, we’ve put together this short yet informative guide to help you out when it comes to choosing the best water based protein drinks for you.
The best protein water for you
The first major thing you will take into consideration – in most cases – is the price of the protein water you are buying. Secondly, you will want to make sure you get the most for your money, so you’ll want the quality of the whey protein powder you buy to be the very best.
In simple terms, the better the quality (i.e. the more pure the protein), the higher the price – which is why whey protein isolate is (usually) the most expensive whey protein to buy. It’s important to note, though, that you get what you pay for when it comes to protein waters and the reason whey protein isolate is the most expensive type of the three is because it’s literally pure whey protein with almost no fat, no carbohydrates and no lactose.
So, if you’ve got the money to spend, and you want the most protein per serving with the fewest calories – whey protein isolate is the best water based protein drinks for you.
water based protein drinks
Of course, before you buy, you’ll want to know a little about the advantages and disadvantages of whey protein isolate:
Advantages:
- Virtually fat, lactose and carbohydrate-free.
- Higher volume of protein per serving than other forms of whey protein.
- The very purest form of whey protein powder on the market.
- Perfect to help you gain muscle mass and lose weight.
Disadvantages:
- Can cost a lot more than other types of whey protein.
- Fast ingesting – meaning if you want your body to slow down the digestion of whey protein isolate, you will have to increase your intake of foods that are made up of other components, including fats.
If you are looking for a protein water with a high proportion of protein per serving, but a little less expensive than whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate may be the best water based protein drinks for you.
Whey protein concentrate isn’t as filtered and/or pure as whey protein isolate, which means you’ll get a lower proportion of protein per serving, and a few more calories. If you are trying to gain weight by increasing your muscle mass, whey protein concentrate is the best water based protein drinks for you.
Here are a few advantages and disadvantages of whey protein concentrate:
Advantages:
- Very good for increasing weight/muscle mass.
- Excellent amino acid profile.
- A little cheaper than whey protein isolate, so fits a mid-ranged budget.
Disadvantages:
- Higher calorie-per portion than whey protein isolate.
- More fat and carbohydrates than whey protein isolate.
- May not be the best protein water for someone who is looking to lose weight.
If, however, you are looking for a protein water somewhere in the middle of whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate, whey protein blends will be the best water based protein drinks for you.
As the name will tell you, whey protein blends is a mixture of whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate – giving you a protein water offering you good quality, for an affordable price.
It is important to note though, that some whey protein blends are created with more isolate than others, while some are created with more concentrate – so make sure you take a look at all the information about the protein water before buying it.
Many people argue that whey protein blends are some of the best protein waters on the market – and sales back this up, as they tend to be the most popular.
Here, we will take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of whey protein blends:
Advantages:
- The ‘perfect’ mix of whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate.
- Great amino acid profile.
- Less fat and carbohydrates per serving than whey protein concentrate.
- Value for money.
Disadvantages:
- More fat and carbohydrates per serving than whey protein isolate.
- Some whey protein blends will contain more of one type of whey protein – so make sure you check the ingredients before you buy.
So there you have it, our short guide to the main three categories of whey protein. Hopefully, the information you have picked up from reading this guide will have helped you decide which type of whey protein is right for you.
Now you’ve just got to choose the brand and product – and to help you with that, we’ve reviewed every single whey protein powder/product on the market… so you can find the best water based protein drinks for you.