Milk is the source of whey protein. During the making of cheese, the liquid separates from the curds. Although it contains lactose, a milk sugar that many people have found difficult to digest, it is also high in protein.

Whey protein isolate has extremely little lactose compared to whey protein concentrate since much of this milk sugar is lost during processing. Whey is fast to digest and rich in branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). One of these BCAAs, leucine, is essential for promoting muscle development and recovery during resistance and muscular endurance. Amino acids are available for muscle protein synthesis (MPS), or the growth of new muscle, once they have been digested and absorbed into your bloodstream. Studies show that whey protein can help athletes in recovering from strenuous exercise and increase muscular strength in response to strength training. In one research of young men, whey protein boosted MPS after resistance exercise by 132% more than casein protein and by 31% more than soy protein.

Casein is a protein found in milk, just like whey. But casein is absorbed and processed much more slowly. When casein and stomach acid mix, a gel is created that slows stomach emptying and delays the absorption of amino acids into the bloodstream.

Your muscles are exposed to amino acids more gradually and steadily as a consequence, which slows the rate of protein breakdown in your muscles. According to research, casein is less efficient than whey protein at boosting MPS and strength than soy and wheat protein. However, one research on overweight men shows that casein may beat whey in terms of improving body composition during strength exercise when calories are restricted.

A great source of high-quality protein is eggs. Eggs have the greatest protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score of all whole foods (PDCAAS). This rating represents the quality and digestibility of a protein.

Eggs are among the best foods for reducing hunger and extending feelings of fullness. However, egg whites rather than whole eggs are commonly used to make egg protein powders. Although the protein content is still great, the lack of high-fat yolks may lead you to feel less satisfied. Eggs are a complete protein source. This means that they offer all nine of the necessary amino acids, which your body cannot produce on its own. Furthermore, egg protein is the second-highest source of leucine, the BCAA that is most important for maintaining muscle health, after whey.

People who are vegetarians, vegans, or have dairy or egg allergies or sensitivities particularly benefit from pea protein powder. It is made with yellow split peas, which are high in fiber and contain all but one of the necessary amino acids.

The BCAA content of pea protein is exceptionally high. Pea protein is absorbed more slowly than whey protein but more quickly than casein, according to one rat research. It may be comparable to dairy protein in terms of its ability to trigger the release of a number of fullness hormones. In a 12-week trial including 161 resistance-trained males, those taking 1.8 ounces (50 grams) of pea protein daily had comparable increases in muscle thickness to those taking the same amount of whey protein daily. In addition, a study found that supplementing with pea protein decreased the raised levels of blood pressure in both humans and rats with high blood pressure.

Another increasingly popular plant-based supplement is hemp protein powder. Despite being linked to marijuana, hemp only has very little quantities of the psychoactive THC.

Glutamine, an amino acid that has been demonstrated to be helpful for people trying to grow muscle and is frequently used to help buffer intensive exercise demands, is present in considerable amounts in hemp protein. Hemp is also a great source of necessary amino acids and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. However, because of the extremely low concentrations of the amino acids lysine and leucine, it is not regarded as a complete protein. Hemp protein looks to be a well-digested plant protein source, even though there is very little research on it.

When looking for a protein source to help gain muscle growth, people frequently ignore brown rice protein. This is because it has been demonstrated that brown rice protein is a useful way to ensure that the body gets adequate protein to support protein synthesis and increase muscle growth.

The protein content of brown rice protein is high while also offering a variety of other extra nutrients and benefits. For those who want to stay away from dairy products and other non-dairy protein choices like soy protein, brown rice protein is a popular option. In addition, some people even prefer brown rice protein because it has been found to include all the amino acids required to increase muscle mass. It is also a great alternative to eat before longer fasting periods, such as right before night. This is because many other protein sources, such as whey and egg, digest more slowly than this. This great protein will therefore help ensure your muscles are drip-fed while you sleep.

To provide your body access to all nine necessary amino acids, some protein powders include a variety of plant sources. Protein combinations often consist of two or more of the following: Brown rice, Pea, Hemp, Alfalfa, Chia seeds, Flax seeds, Artichoke, and Quinoa.

Plant proteins often digest more slowly than animal proteins, in part because they include a lot of fiber. Although many people might not have a problem with this, it might restrict the number of amino acids your body can use right away after exercise. One small trial gave young men who had been resistance-trained 2.1 ounces (60 grams) of whey protein, a pea-rice protein mix, or a pea-rice blend with added enzymes to speed up digestion. When it came to how quickly amino acids arrived in the blood, the enzyme-added powder was equivalent to whey protein.