Protein supplements are dietary supplements that people use to increase their intake of protein so as to increase the growth rate of their muscles or for recovery of muscles. Mostly bodybuilders or athletes use these kinds of protein supplements to help them make their muscles and body strong.

Protein supplements are usually available in the form of powder which can easily be mixed in water, milk or juice and used. The supplement is used before or after exercising, in place of a meal or before going to bed. There are other forms of protein supplements as well. For example, protein supplements come as ready to drink shakes, energy bars, gels etc. The amount of the supplement that is to be taken depends on the individual’s age, gender and the muscle growth rate required.

There can be different types of protein supplements that can be used such as whey protein supplement, egg protein supplement, soy protein supplement, rice protein supplement, casein protein supplement and many others. However, whey protein is the most widely used out of all the different types of protein supplements. Whey protein supplement is also considered the best among all the rest.

Whey protein is derived from milk in the process in which milk is converted into cheese. It contains large amounts of essential amino acids and branched chain amino acids which are required for strengthening the human body. There are two types of whey protein:

1. Whey Concentrate
2. Whey Isolate

Many people are confused about the kind of whey protein supplement which they should use. The simple answer is that all kinds of whey protein supplement, whether it is the whey concentrate or the whey isolate, are the same. So it is up to the individual who wants to use the supplement, to choose the kind of supplement he or she prefers. One difference between the two is that whey concentrate is cheaper and of low quality but whey isolate is a little more expensive and of higher quality. Also whey isolate has more whey per serving and contains much less calories as compared to its lower quality counterpart.

Whey protein used by bodybuilders helps in muscle recovery and growth. Athletes burn up a lot of calories in a single day and hence the protein level of the body falls. Protein supplements can account for this loss of protein level. People who want to lose weight can also take protein supplements so that the calories required by the body will be fulfilled by the supplement and the person will not eat extra food. This would help in maintaining a healthy and balanced diet as well as accelerating fat loss.

Casein protein also plays an important role in strengthening the muscles. Some experts recommend taking casein protein instead of whey protein before going to bed. Whey protein is easily digested and absorbed into our body at quite a fast speed. However, casein protein can take about 7 hours to be absorbed into the body. This is the reason why people prefer taking casein protein instead of whey before going to bed as it can be digested while you are sleeping and helps in repairing the muscles and strengthening them during your sleep.

One should be careful when taking these protein supplements because excess of everything is bad. Consuming large amounts of whey protein can damage the liver. Therefore, we should always be careful and not take more than 30g of protein supplement at one time. Instead of taking large amount of supplement at the same time, it is recommended to take the supplement twice or thrice a day, in small quantities.