Thought this may be of some interest and use

BamaBob54
on 10/10/08 1:32 pm - Meridianville, AL

Bob Myhal's Supplement Buyer's Guide



Protein Powders

Which Protein Supplement is Best?

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past decade, by now you are well aware of the lean muscle-building benefits of protein. Protein provides the building blocks for muscle development, and whey-dominated protein powders in particular are virtually a "must-have" element of any serious bodybuilding or fitness nutrition program.

Because of its outstanding bio-availability and its extremely rapid absorption, a basic protein powder is still one of the best and most effective physique enhancing supplements on the market.

But with so many quality proteins available--and so much money being spent on overstated advertisements, added ingredients of questionable value, and worthless hype--deciding which basic protein powder makes the most sense for you in terms of both ingredients and cost can often be a frustrating chore.

To help you make the most intelligent decision, here's a quick comparison of some of the highest quality and most popular brands currently on the market:

Comparing Ingredients

When shopping for an appropriate protein supplement, you'll want to pay attention to total calories and the breakdown between protein, carbohydrates, and fat.

Brand Protein: Carbs: Fat Calories
ASN American Whey 20g 6g 1g 104
AST VP2 24g 1g .5g 100
Beverly Muscle Provider 16g 2g 1g 80
Cytodyne Methoxy-Pro 23g 4g 2.5g 140
EAS Precision Protein 20g 2g 1g 100
MuscleTech Nitro-Tech 20g 3g 1.5g 110
Nature's Best Isopure 50g 3g 0g 210
Next Nutrition Designer Whey 17.5g 2g 1.5g 90
Optimum 100% Whey 23g 2g 1.5g 110
ProLab Complex Protein 40g 7g 4g 225

Comparing Cost

Now here's a cost per serving analysis of these same popular products. In order to keep the comparison relevant, I've decided to look at just the 2 lbs. and 3 lbs. containers. Of course, you can often save more money per serving by buying larger quantities, but more on that in a moment.

You'll notice that I've ranked the products for you from least expensive on a per serving basis to most expensive.

Brand Size Cost Servings Cost Per Serving
Optimum 100% Whey 2lbs $13.95 31 $.45
ASN American Whey 3lbs $24.95 48 $.52
Next Nutrition Designer Whey 2lbs $22.95 40 $.57
Beverly Muscle Provider 2lbs $39.60 45 $.88
MuscleTech Nitro-Tech 2lbs $32.95 32 $1.03
AST VP2 2lbs $33.95 32 $1.06
Cytodyne Methoxy-Pro 2lbs $31.95 24 $1.33
ProLab Complex Protein 2lbs $27.99 17 $1.65
Nature's Best Isopure 3lbs $35.95 21 $1.71

So now you have an idea of what's in these popular protein products and where each one ranks on a cost per serving basis. Another piece of the protein puzzle involves looking closely at the quality of the various powders.

Comparing Purity

The chart below compares the purity (the % of the powder that is actual protein as opposed to fillers and/or other ingredients) of the most popular protein powders. In general, the higher the purity percentage number is, the better. The products are ranked from purest in terms of protein content, to least purest.

Product

Serving Size

Protein Content

Protein Purity

AST VP2

28 g

24 g

85.7%

Optimum 100% Whey

28.4 g

23 g

81%

Nature's Best Isopure

65 g

50 g

80.6%

Beverly Muscle Provider

21 g

16 g

76.2%

Next Nutrition Designer Whey

24 g

17.5 g

73%

ProLab Complex Protein

55 g

40 g

72.7%

MuscleTech NitroTech

29g

20g

69%

American Whey

32 g

20 g

62.5%

Cytodyne Methoxy-Pro

38 g

23 g

60.5%

My general feeling, is that if you're looking for a quality protein product and not a meal replacement, than a purity number of over 70% is desirable. Over 80% is outstanding.

Conclusions and My Protein Recommendation

As you can see from the Purity chart above, AST's VP2 is tops. It's one of the best whey protein formulas I've seen. But at over $1.00 per serving it's pricey, and I have to confess that I'm not a big fan of the taste either: it's a bit harsh.

In terms of purity, 2nd place goes to Optimum's 100% Whey at an excellent 81%. 100% Whey also comes in as the most economical per serving of the entire bunch. And I love the taste! For me, that's a winning combination.

If you're looking for a high quality, versatile, and economical protein powder, then Optimum Nutrition's 100% Whey is an excellent choice. At only $0.45 per 23 gram serving, and a rock-solid purity reading, 100% Whey is truly a protein bargain.

100% Whey is also available in a 5 lbs. size that drops the cost per serving down to a very appealing $0.37.

BamaBob54    756997.jpg picture by BamaVulcan04   ROLL TIDE!!!
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Bob L.
on 10/10/08 2:14 pm - Clarksville, TN
Great info Bama! Thanks Rocky Top

carrtje
on 10/10/08 3:37 pm - Chico, CA
Interesting info. Thanks man. One thing I was curious about, though: Are these all "apples to apples?" I see that a lot of them are whey protein based. Are they all? When I look at a product, its bio-availability / absorption quality is basically the most important factor.
sjbob
on 10/11/08 2:27 am - Willingboro, NJ
This comparison is fine as far as it goes, but what about the popular brands that are not included?  Specifically, I know a lot of people like Unjury since it can be mixed in many foods.  And, a lot of people like the Syntrax products since they can be blended with a spoon ( they don't have to be blended with a blender or stick blender).  Also, the Syntrax comes in a wide variety of flavors.
majesticman
on 10/11/08 4:50 am - Upstate, NY

Thanks Bob.  Good info to have.

Lou

***************************************************
WARNING!!  Lie Detectors Tell the Truth!

Lou

nicksohnrey
on 10/11/08 8:16 am - Syracuse, UT
This is great info for the newby's and oldy's as well.
But SJ is right what about Unjury that's the one i drank when I was drinking the protein drinks .I dont have a need for them any more though .
I get all my protein from meat and beans .
Nick
BamaBob54
on 10/11/08 10:12 am - Meridianville, AL
It's just info on some readily available, easy to find proteins. The Optimum Nutrition at 45 cents per serving is a good, inexpensive protein powder.  I've used it before and it's pretty good, and easy on the pocketbook, especially with the economy like it is.  Just thought it might be helpful to someone.
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gr8tfuldad
on 10/13/08 10:27 am - Columbus, GA
Well it's darn helpful to this Bama boy!
Thanks Bob!
Dan

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BamaBob54
on 10/13/08 11:13 am - Meridianville, AL
Glad you fellas find this info of some use!
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