Many men want to find a way to ditch the flab and get that ripped and muscular physique they have been looking for. Losing body fat and building muscle mass essentially comes down to hard work, but natural protein shakes can assist greatly in providing the body with what it needs in order to achieve results. For many years body builders and professional sports people have been realising the benefits of whey protein supplements in regard to improving their performance and their body shape and while these athletes may have the advantage of professional guidance to assist them in using these products effectively, the average person may not fully understand the role protein plays in regard to physical performance. Before choosing any natural protein shakes it is important that you gain a good knowledge of how protein can help you build the physique you are after.
The market is literally flooded with whey protein supplements that all promise results, but when it comes to natural protein shakes and powders these products can differ greatly in their quality and effectiveness. If you’re spending your money on a protein supplement you want to make sure that it is one that is a good quality and will give you the results you want. Choosing the wrong protein powder or taking it incorrectly may actually cause you to increase your body fat.
So what should you be looking for in natural protein shakes?
First and foremost you should be choosing a whey protein supplement as this is the best source of protein. Whey protein is a complete protein meaning that it is made up of all the essential amino acids that are critical for cell production, fat burning and muscle growth and development among other things. But even when it comes to whey protein, there are still some major differences between the qualities of these supplements.
There are essentially three different types of whey protein. Whey protein can come as an isolate, a concentrate or a combination of the two. They are all a good source of protein but the major differences are in relation to their fat and carbohydrate content.
When it comes to looking for the best natural protein shakes you can’t go past whey protein isolate. It is the most pure form of protein and contains practically no fat, carbohydrate or lactose. However, being the best on the market it is also the most costly so if you are after a whey protein isolate it may be worth shopping around to find a good deal.
Whey protein concentrate is still a great quality protein, however, it has less protein per serve than the better quality isolate and contains more calories, fat and carbohydrates which is not ideal when you want to reduce your body fat. The one thing it does have going for it though is that it is more affordable than the isolate so you will need to consider your own requirements and budget when selecting these products.
The third option that is available when it comes to natural protein shakes is a whey protein that is a combination of both the isolate and the concentrate. If price is an issue you may find that whey protein combination is a more realistic alternative.
In my opinion if you are going to spend your money on natural protein shakes you are better off going for the best on the market, and that is the whey protein isolate. If cost is an issue I don’t see it being worth your while spending money on an inferior product that may not achieve optimal results.
The last thing you need to be careful of when taking natural protein shakes is how and when you take them. These supplements should be consumed as a replacement for your post training meal. As they will add to your daily calorie intake, the last thing you want to do when trying to lose body fat is actually increase your calorie consumption.
