Best protein in the market?!

[qzha017]

Hey everyone its my first post and really appreciate for any replies.

I just bought a 750gm NFS Super Ion Exchange Whey Protein for $80! The reason I buy it was because I read a magazine article stating its the BEST protein in the market!

can anyone one tell me is it really the best? Whats the second best, cause I really cant afford $80 for 750gm

[Marcus]

Why is it considered the best protein in the market? Do they have evidence to back that up or did you just buy it because they said it was the best in the market?

[Boostin]

Hi Qzha017.

First, let me say welcome to the board, this is a great place to learn and get good feedback.

In regards to the protein, like Marcus said, what made the magazine say that it was the best protein? Was it independent studies showing the quality of it? Was it the gram's per serve? Or did the company pay for the magazine to write the article with its own protein to come out on top?

You need to do you're own independent research (like you are doing now) and come to you're own conclusions as to what is the best protein for you.

Hope this helps

[Wynton]

Is this the one with the crystal looking things in it when mixed? If so I've used this before and didn't find it to be any better than any other protein i've used. It also tastes absolutely shit, I threw out half a tub of it because I couldn't drink it without gagging. I'd never use this again lol.

[Phantomb]

The reason why it's so expensive is because you're also getting a serving of Glutamine and Taurine in with it.

Of course, to get the 5g of Glutamine you need to take a 50g serving, reducing the total servings to 15! Ouch ouch ouch.

It claims that it's 90% protein...but when you look at the details it's including the Glutamine and the Taurine in the protein make-up.

So in total you're getting...

- 570g of Protein

- 75g of Glutamine

- 30g of Taurine

It also claims that it's Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) when the fine print indicates that it's actually a propietory blend of concentrate and isolate.

To put in perspective, you could buy Balance Ion Exchange Whey (completely Isolate) and get 712g of protein for $40.

100g of Glutamine generally costs about $20

Taurine is essentially a waste of time....and so is Glutamine to an extent.

If money's tight then just buy yourself a cheap protein (making sure it's NOT a blend) and try harder in the gym.

[qzha017]

thank you for all the replys it really helped me, specially Phantomb explantion. I probably wont buy it anymore.

I will stick to my cheaper Leppin's Ultermate Whey

[Dyceast]

And I thought buying 2kgs of protein for 80 bux was bad.

But damn, 750grams.

It must be some good shit eh! :pfft:

[ama]

Taurine is essentially a waste of time....and so is Glutamine to an extent.

Why the hell would you say that for?

Glutamine IS protein!!!!!!

It is well known by educated bodybuilders that glutamine is one of the most important if not the most important element of muscle protein making it absolutely necessary for growth and repair.

[deegee]

Everybody has their own idea about what is the best protein , depending on thier budget and needs. For me I would say it is ON whey, well at the moment !

[ama]

Glutamine is the most common amino acid found in your muscles - over 61% of skeletal muscle is Glutamine. Glutamine consists of 19% nitrogen, making it the primary transporter of nitrogen into your muscle cells.

During intense training, Glutamine level are greatly depleted in your body, which decreases strength, stamina and recovery. It could take up to 6 days for Glutamine levels to return to normal - and Glutamine plays a key role in protein synthesis. Studies have shown that L-Glutamine supplementation can minimize breakdown of muscle and improve protein metabolism.

Glutamine plays key roles in protein metabolism, cell volumizing, and anti-catabolism. Glutamine also increases your ability to secrete Human Growth Hormone, which helps metabolize body fat and support new muscle growth. Glutamine's anti-catabolism ability prevents the breakdown of your muscles. This is especially useful for people 'cutting down'. Especially during summer when you're trying to get rid of some body fat without losing any muscle.

Glutamine is needed throughout your body for optimal performance. Your small intestines requires the most Glutamine in your body, and your immune system also needs Glutamine Because Glutamine levels deplete during workouts, bodybuilders are more susceptible to illnesses - this is why L-Glutamine supplementation is so important, not necessarily to gain more muscle, but for the 'maintenance' effects of L-Glutamine.

L-Glutamine supplementation promotes a positive nitrogen balance and prevents the loss of muscle. Recent studies have shown that taking just 2 grams of L-Glutamine can increase growth hormone levels by 400%.

Bodybuilders should take 10 to 15 grams of L-Glutamine a day - supplementing it 2 to 3 times daily, with each serving at around 5 grams. You should also know that you may already be getting some L-Glutamine in your diet from other supplements you're taking. Many protein supplements already have some L-Glutamine added, so read the labels to know for sure. Best times to take L-Glutamine powder is in the morning, after a workout, and at night before bed time

written by BK

[markm]

just 2 grams of L-Glutamine can increase growth hormone levels by 400%.

WOW!!!

Good article ama, thanks. :nod:

[Oros]

Trying...........to........resist.......the........temptation.......but, well, I just have to agree with a large percentage of what ama had to say.

But as someone else wrote, .....it's all subjective and directly related to your budget.

Whats the best TASTING protein around, now thats a question I would really like answered!

When I buy Balance Ion Exchange Whey - UNFLAVOURED (4kg bucket per month, approximately).........well, I'm expecting it to taste crap, and no surprise, 3 scoops in 400mls water tastes CRAP.

As a protein drink is my first intake of the day (5:30am) and because I feel I deserve something just a little better than a "slime drink", I buy flavoured protein powder - just to use for the first & last protein intake of each day - chocolate being my preferred flavour of choice

I have tried the following at various times

Dymatize Mega Milk - Tastes quite good mixed with milk, not so good mixed with water - requires too much powder per serve (75gm) as I recall, 5lb tub did'nt last too long

Leppin Pro4 - Initial taste is ok, but the aftertaste........bit like cheap cooking chocolate, leaves a oily/greasy type feel in your mouth

USN Dynamic Whey Potein - Tastes quite good, but turns thick & sludgy

, and mixed with unsweetened yoghurt......too good........like rich chocolate mousse......1.5kg's lasted me only two weeks...gee, I wonder why.....?!

Balance Ion Exchange - only slightly less uughhh than the unflavoured version

Pharmasport - Sh..................................it!!!!!!!!........probably overflow from the water recycle plant!

Anyone with advice on what to try next?

[Phantomb]

Oros - Try Devine protein from rnc.co.nz. It's their own protein and it tastes and mixes awesomely. Pretty damn cheap too.

Ama - ......Hmmmmm.

Yes, I agree with everything you've said....HOWEVER

Studies have shown that supplementation of Glutamine to a Glutamine depleted blood stream (ie. after a workout) fixes the problem....but protein synthesis stays the same despite the lack of Glutamine! It makes no difference! Of course when mixed wiith a full amino acid profile ie. a whole protein, then of course protein synthesis is improved.

As far as losing strength goes.....how is Glutamine at all relevant? Last time I looked, protein wasn't an energy source, let alone a non-essential amino acid. In fact a study was done using Glutamine twice a day, a whopping 45g in total. 1 rep max on Squats and Bench Press increases didn't change between the Glutamine group and the placebo group....over 6 weeks! Neither was there any difference in lean muscle increase.

So is it any good for anything? Certainly it's effective in preventinig muscle wastage....but only when injected (therefore bypassing the 40% gobbled up by the intestines) into critically ill patients in extreme catabolic states. The only time a bodybuilder even remotely approaches these kind of catabolic conditions is when improperly coming off a cycle of anabolic steroids.

For builders trying to build muscle then give glutamine a miss....unless you have money to burn.

[Marcus]

Like all supplements, there is always evidence for & against the use of them. I personally think it's important to find what works for you. Some people will respond better to a particular supplement than others. I don't really pay attention to studies on either side. I tend to try the supplement for a time period then decide whether to stick with it or not. Some supplements work for me, others do not.

[Flex]

Last time I looked, protein wasn't an energy source, let alone a non-essential amino acid.

.

Protein contains calories - therefore it is an energy source. While you body prefers to burn carbohydrates for energy, protein is an important source of energy for your body. When more protein is ingested than is used for anabolic purposes, aminos will be oxidised for energy or converted to fat. Protein is utilised in four ways - amino acids can be transported in the blood to body cells to be incorporated into cellular molecules (anabolism), or broken down by glycolysis as with glucose and other sugars where they are converted to pyruvic acid, or for conversion to Acetyl CoA, and then onto the Krebs cycle (which they can enter directly or through conversion to Acetyl CoA) and oxidative phosphorylation where they contribute to ATP energy production. If you have insufficient carbohydrates in your diet, or eat excess protein your body will deaminate protein and convert it into glucose, a process called gluconeogenesis.

While not one of the 8 essential amino acids, many people consider Glutamine to be a conditionally essential amino acid. While it can be metabolised in the body from other amino acids, as with non-essential amino's, under certain conditions the body's own production can be insufficient to meet demands - therefore it becomes conditionally essential. This can be during times of stress, periods of overtraining, inadequate diet, or intense training phases.

It is true that the intestinal tract will utilise most dietary glutamine so doses of 5g or more should be ingested to ensure adequate glutamine is able to be absorbed by the body as well as the intestines. Using small doses will help benefit intestinal health, however won't provide the full benefits as far as improving recovery and immune system, and cell volumisation etc.

If you aren't training at a particularly high intensity or your diet is sufficiently high in quality protein sources than there may not be too much benefit, however, many hardtraining bodybuilders, strength trainers and endurance athletes should benefit from the use of L-Glutamine.

Taurine is now also considered to be conditionally essential - perhaps not so much for bodybuilding however more so in its effect on insulin resistance for management of diabetes and possibly in the treatment of congestive heart failure. However due to it's effects on insulin resistance I wouldn't totally rule it out as a supplement that might be of use to bodybuilders as it may help increase the uptake of certain nutrients.

[Flex]

BTW I have used Super Whey protein and found it pretty good, if not a little expensive. As pointed out is is a blend of Ion Exchange Whey Isolate with a small amount of concentrate added - providing about 90% protein. It certainly isn't the flashest tasting due to the natural flavours and sweeteners but is a pretty good protein source. When you mix it up you'll probably notice some crystals at the bottom of your shaker or glass - make sure you drink these as that's the Taurine. The Taurine doesn't tend to dissolve too well so I had to add a lot of water to it to make sure I got my moneys worth and didn't wash the taurine down the drain.

I wouldn't say NFS Super Whey is the best protein in the world due to the fact that it's an Ion Exchange WPI. The Ion Exchange process uses acid to help separate the fat, carbs and protein which denatures the proteins so it is missing some of the important microfractions. Some people would argue that good old WPC is actually better than Ion Exchange WPI because of this denaturing.

If you want the very best whey protein, currently you can't get much better than a microfiltered or ultrafiltered isolate that hasn't been put through an ion exchange. Expensive and not quite as high in protein as an IEWPI, but retains all the important microfractions.

[Pseudonym]

Thanks Flex. I used the NFS Ion Exchange Super Whey for a while a couple of years ago as a PWO drink before budget constraints forced me to restructure my supplement lineup. I certainly wouldn't call it delicious, but I still quite liked it - vanilla flavour was best, I think. It was definitely an acquired taste though.

[BlueCollarLifter]

ON's 100% Whey is certainly worth a look, in terms of value.. it seems to be a better version of Dymatize's Elite..

Except mixability and taste which come 2nd to Elite..

(ON's vanilla is aint so good :? )

[The Legend Killer]

ONS chocolate is the best ever protein powder I've ever tasted.