How to select a quality protein product
The market is replete with protein products. How does a lay person go about selecting the right one? We’ll give you a little insider tip - most protein products are sourced from just a few manufacturers. So does this mean it doesn’t matter which product you should take? Not necessarily. Here’s some more factors to consider when selecting a protein supplement.
- Taste: As obvious as this seems, taste can majorly impact your compliance with your protein supplement regimen. Pick a product you enjoy consuming so you stick to your plan.
- Mixability: Similar to taste, products that don’t mix well are unpleasant to consume and can make you less likely to stick to your supplement plan.
- Additives - “The Good” - digestive enzymes and micronutrients: Protein products by themselves can cause GI distress in sensitive folks; this is where digestive enzymes come in - they can assist in digesting protein and eliminate the distress that comes from those who have issues digesting it. Likewise, many protein supplements lack micronutrients that their food-based protein counterparts do not lack. If this concerns you or you need to make sure you’re getting your micros, pick a protein that is fortified by protein. FYI, Metabolic Nutrition’s protein available at Natty Superstore is an example of a brand containing both digestive enzymes and micronutrients.
- Additives - “The Bad” - amino spiking: Amino spiking is a method used to technically increase the protein content of a product so it may be claimed on the label using weak amino acids. You can spot this by examining the amino acid content on the label of the protein product. Look for products high in l-leucine. And if the label doesn’t contain the amino acid content, steer clear!
- The Brand - Do you trust the owner?: Do you like their branding and their mission? Do all of their products have effective ingredients; if you know they make some products with poor ingredients or ineffective doses, it’s likely they could be cutting corners on their protein products too.
