The Biggest Protein Powder Myth

Many would like protein powder to be a fairly straightforward topic. I mean... its powdered protein. How complicated can it be? Very complicated, as it turns out. And because of all these complex little details, many myths and misconceptions have popped up surrounding this common supplement. So, let's take just one of these and examine it closer. Admittedly, it was difficult to decide which myth was really qualified to be called “the biggest protein powder myth.” Still, we're confident in our choice. And here it is: All Protein is Created Equal What's really interesting about this myth – and is probably the reason for its persistence – is that many people don't even realize that they believe it. Still, they do. After all, when people discuss nutrition, they simply talk about protein. This ignores the fact that, on a molecular level, there are literally thousands of different proteins that each had a different biological function. Even if we do step back and do use “protein” as an umbrella-term as is common practice, it ignores the fact that different proteins have vastly different attributes. Of course, you have the issue of “complete and incomplete” proteins, which most people are aware of. Still many, use these terms incorrectly – largely because they're confusing and misleading. In their correct usage, these classifications refers to whether or not essential amino acids – those that your body cannot produce on its own – are found in the protein. A complete protein contains all the essential amino acids, while an incomplete protein does not. These terms do not refer to the exact concentration of the amino acids or to the content of the non-essential amino acids. Complete proteins do tend to confer more benefits immediately so everything you need is all in that one package but that doesn't make incomplete proteins useless or even inferior. Your body simply needs essential amino acids over the course of an entire day – meaning that they can be found through a variety of sources. When dealing with protein powders specifically, you're also likely to encounter the issue of concentrates and isolates – a topic that can hugely influence which protein you select. Concentrates are, basically, the first form that proteins take during the basic processing. In the case of whey and casein, this happens as soon as the milk is treated and the solid casein is separated from the liquid whey. These are the “concentrates.” However, at this point both fats and carbohydrates are still present in fairly significant levels. So, some companies apply further processing to remove these other elements and increase the percentage of protein in the supplement. Proteins are also absorbed at different rates, which can have a powerful impact on your choice and when you use that specific protein. For example, whey protein is absorbed quickly while casein can literally take hours to be completely put to use. When designing a diet to complement your workout routine, then, it's important to remember that not all proteins are the same. Not only do various proteins have different roles your body but different protein sources also act in unique ways. Read More: Whey Protein Concentrate vs. Whey Protein Isolate: What’s the Difference? The Bioavailability of Whey Protein Isolate Picking Your Protein