I’m in to weight lifting and general getting-in-shapeness, so I take extra protein. Protein is good for maintaining and increasing muscle mass. But I can’t eat chicken 5x/day. The important things to look for in a protein powder are:

• that it’s a whey protein isolate or whey protein isolate blend. Whey isolate is the most pure form of whey protein, so it has less junk in it. (And whey > casein > soy.)
• that there is a high percentage of protein per serving. That is, if the serving size is 32 g, the amount of protein is close to that number (e.g., 26 g protein).
• that it tastes good. Protein powders have come a long way in 20 years, and now they can provide a lot of protein and a great taste.

I belong to several online groups for weight lifting, weight loss, and getting in shape. Everyone has their favorite protein that they like to brag about. Today I did some research on the second bullet above, percentage of protein per serving. I was surprised that a lot of the “pure” powders had a lower protein percentage than I would have expected.

These are people who have lifted weights and taken supplements for years, and they’re eating protein that has a low protein percentage. But hey, it tastes great and it’s cheap, right? I’ve read posts in which people have advocated calculating how much you pay per scoop–but what if most of the scoop is not protein? Why pay for what you don’t want?

From all the powders I looked at, the MaxPro came in the best at 23.5 g/serving with 20 g/protein. The High5 is at the upper range for most of the “pure” protein powders I found out there, and it’s a blend!! So sure, the Max Muscle proteins cost more, but you’re buying more protein. Works for me.

Obviously, I could be said to be biased since my parents own a MM store. So go check for yourself. How much non-protein are you getting in your protein powder?