T Nation

Importance of Protein Quality?

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

I would like some opinions on how important protein quality is in protein powder. I have committed myself to using Surge Recovery after my workouts, and I am looking at protein powders to use during the day once my current powder runs out. I have done the macros on my diet and I need around 50-80 extra grams of protein during the day in powder form.

I have seen all of the proteins on this site and they all are very high quality, but I don’t have enough money to get all of my extra protein from Metabolic Drive low carb, or Grow!. That being said, I am wondering if I should get less extra protein per day or simply use a lower quality whey protein and still get 50-80 extra grams.

I weigh 200 Lbs right now at about 16 percent bodyfat and I’m looking to get to 8 to 10 percent bodyfat without losing a bunch of muscle (if possible even while gaining muscle.) I get about 150 grams of protein from my diet every day and I am using the around 100 grams of carbs a day system. Thanks in advance for the help!

#2

so you’re getting 600 cals from protein and 400 from carbs… the rest of your calories come from fat? how many calories a day are you eating?

#3

[quote]gregron wrote:
so you’re getting 600 cals from protein and 400 from carbs… the rest of your calories come from fat? how many calories a day are you eating?
[/quote]

I am getting 800-900 calories from protein, I am currently using a cheaper protein powder for 50-80 extra grams a day, sorry forgot to mention that. Also, I am usually on the high side of about 100 carbs (closer to 125 grams per day) so I get about 500 calories from carbs. I eat very clean and my fats mainly come from fish oils, almonds, olive oil, peanut butter, cage free organic eggs, and a small amount from the meats that I eat. I get about 100 grams of fat a day. I guess that would put my total calories around:

800-900 protein
500 carbs
900-1000 fat

#4

Protein is like anything.

If you’re someone who doesn’t mind eating hormone injected, grain-fed, never-moved-more-than-two-feet-in-their-life-beef, then eating low-quality whey protein from that kind of source is little different. If that sort of thing bothers you, spend the money to buy higher quality stuff.

Beyond that amino profiles are pretty standard within a type of protein.

#5

[quote]Spartiates wrote:
Protein is like anything.

If you’re someone who doesn’t mind eating hormone injected, grain-fed, never-moved-more-than-two-feet-in-their-life-beef, then eating low-quality whey protein from that kind of source is little different. If that sort of thing bothers you, spend the money to buy higher quality stuff.

Beyond that amino profiles are pretty standard within a type of protein.[/quote]

I’m someone who can’t afford to get 50-80 grams per day of high quality protein atm. By the beginning of next year it will no longer be a problem. If there is no difference other than that, I guess I will just live with the cheaper stuff for the time being to keep myself getting enough protein for the time being, and look forward to the days when all of my food and supplements come from only the best sources!

#6

If you were going with a vegan diet, or a more obscure protein powder like rice or hemp, then you might at least want to look into it, but it doesn’t look like you need to worry about “completeness” at all.

#7

Canned salmon, about 3 bucks gets you 100g of protein.

Buy brochures for when meat goes on sale, i just got chicken for 88 cents a pound…that’s a good deal.

#8

I think quality is extremely important.

With that said, whole food can be much cheaper than powder if you buy meat on sale.

When you buy cheap powder youre running the risk of getting fillers and other shit in the product. Paying a bit extra to guarentee that you arent getting maltodextrin mixed in your whey is probably a good idea.

#9

[quote]BONEZ217 wrote:
I think quality is extremely important.

With that said, whole food can be much cheaper than powder if you buy meat on sale.

When you buy cheap powder youre running the risk of getting fillers and other shit in the product. Paying a bit extra to guarentee that you arent getting maltodextrin mixed in your whey is probably a good idea. [/quote]

100% agree.

I don’t even use supplement or protein shakes. Even the high end ones contain terrible fillers and other additives.

Stick with whole foods, and buy as quality a product as you can afford.