After years of being a full on gym rat and trying a lot of different proteins I have learned some things that I wish I knew what I'd started out. One of the big things does impact your wallet and your results. Here are a few things I've picked up over the year with protein powder:Don't worry about clever timed released or "magic" blends - stick with standard wheyRead the ingredients when you buy a powder, you can bet that the really cheap proteins contain more than just whey (watch out for soya)Connected to the above post: if you're male - avoid soya products:Log InSome of the cheaper powders labelled 'bulking' powders are just pumped full of sugar - you may as well stick with a purer whey blend and if you want sugar treat yourself to something that tastes nicer than a protein shakeThe difference on effectiveness between Whey Isolate and Whey Impact is near to non existent - no need to spend more of IsolateGetting your protein from supplements is generally cheaper than whole foods - but not healthier so make sure your diet is varied and balancedI am a keen bodybuilder so I hope some of my findings are useful and hopefully (if there's interest) I'll put up some other supplement or gym related reviews Thanks
I have visited the link on soya powders and was thunderstruck by the fact that they cause feminization and this can result to expensive treatments consisting of hormone therapy. I would recommend that one sticks to pure soya products which do not have additives as well as being cheap. I had even learnt how to make dried milk powder which is alot cheaper and healthy.
@remnant So is it the soya or the additive that increases female hormones among males (women aren't in the equation since they already have female hormones to begin with)? I guess men should drink pure, non-processed soya then to avoid a sudden surge in estrogen and keep their testosterone levels in check. They can also stick with tofu. It's pure soya after all but in a solid form.
The problem isn't the additives, the problem is soya itself. Test are still being carried out, but to be safe, if you're male limit your daily soya intake to help keep a healthy hormone balance. It is best to avoid soya altogether. Tofu is also a nono as, as you mentioned, it's pure soya. Soya is in so much as it's cheap, but like most things, when companies cost cut we sufAfer
Good stuff, I always try to avoid the protein powders that promise superfluous "benefits" and stick to whey based, the more plain the better, outside of the usual ridiculous flavor. Now when comes to soy bean derived products as a general rule I just steer clear, the long term affects are just to damaging to leave to chance.
To be fair - much as I appreciate that there are probably good intentions here and also that - with the internet now being a powerful platform for delivering opinion based inaccurate, misleading and often misconstrued health information - its understandably sometimes difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction - particularly as personal opinions appear to quickly become “ facts “ …......... I would just say - that as there is a huge difference between fact based information and opinion based information where health is concerned - particularly as the latter - rather than being beneficial - has the potential to be detrimental to people's well being - if health is your goal - think it might be worth considering getting your health information from more reputable sources - especially as - the majority of the information contained here regarding soy is inaccurate and misleading as not only is there currently absolutely NO scientific evidence to support the speculative claim that soy causes feminization in men - but its a common myth that has been well and truly debunked many, many times over the past decade Log In Also and more importantly from a health point of view - as recent research has found that the average person actually consumes almost double their protein requirements from diet alone and also that - there are some major health risks associated with high protein diets - for example - excess protein consumption is now strongly linked with osteoporosis, kidney diseases, calcium stones in the urinary tract along with many other debilitating diseases - following a well-balanced diet containing adequate calories and nutrients combined with a well-designed resistance training program that can build and strengthen muscles - is generally considered to be the healthier option.
It's amazing how you dismiss others trepidation of using such a cheap product that is second rate to whey in the weightlifting community (by a mile), and then help perpetuate a classic myth about "the risks of a high protein diet." Remember correlation does not equal causation, high protein diets tend to be unhealthy in general, but if you're supplementing your consumption of protein through powders instead of just eating red meats. Its not the high protein, its the "diet" itself. But try staying below 8% body fat at 180 lbs without consuming a lot of protein and eating a diet healthier than most, it's not gonna happen. You would have to be eating at least 5-7 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily to put yourself at any risk.
Thanks for the information. While I'm not a bodybuilder, I'm still interested in a high protein (and low carb) eating plan. With this information I can potentially still save money, since I will be able to avoid wasting money of inferior products. I'd rather spend a bit more on a high quality supplement than waste a lot of money trying out various formulas that aren't helpful, or even worse unhealthy. Interesting stuff. Soya isn't good for women just because we "already have female hormones." We still need a good balance.
