for the guys here who buy whey protein, go to this site:
proteinfactory.com
it is BY FAR the best place to buy protein. it's likely that all you've been eating is protein concentrate. protein isolate is much different. one, for every 100 grams of powder, about 93% of is protein -- compared to about 77% for protein concentrate. the differential (what you'll find in concentrate to make up the difference) is ash and other carbs. two, it mixes so much easier. with whey protein concentrate, mixing with a fork yields clumps. you could mix protein isolate with a spoon in much less time and the result has no clumps. three, i always had intestinal problems (mainly just gas) with concentrate. some others who take concentrate, but not all, do, too. i've absolutely no issues with whey protein isolate.
here's the kicker with proteinfactory.com : you can formulate your own protein. you can throw in different products as you see fit. we've all heard of creatine and those who are into supplements also know the benefit of glutamine. well, you could, say, make a protein concoction of 90%, 5% glutamine peptides, and 5% creatine. also, you can select the flavor and the sweetener. guys, the sweetener has a lot to do with how the protein tastes. most proteins that you'll find at the local health food store are not flavored with splenda (sucralose), which i find to be the best. so, at no added cost, you could select splenda (they have about 5 or so available sweeteners) and chocolate or strawberry or vanilla or fruit punch or... others.
now, you can get carried away at proteinfactory, spending much more than you'd originally. however, if you stick to the basics and don't add a lot, you'll save money. what it all comes down to is how much you're spending per gram of protein. don't try to compute what you're spending per pound. again, remember that not all proteins supplements have the same number of proteins per serving. you can still buy whey protein concentrate from the proteinfactory. they sell 5-pound containers for $20. again, what makes buying protein from there better is that you can decide which sweetener (splenda makes a difference) and which flavor (there are many) you want.
if you go to the site, and if you're interested in this stuff, you could spend a couple hours there. they have lots of great products, ranging from carbohydrate powders, fat powders (efa), and supplements (creatine, glutamine, fat-loss capsules, etc). of course, what they are most known for is their great selection of protein powders.
my suggestion is buy a little and test it. if you like it, you may want to consider branching out to the other types of proteins that cost more but can also do more for gaining muscle. concocting your own meal replacement powder will soon be a must. oh, if you want to design your own mrp, i would suggest throwing in rice oligodextrin. it's a carbohydrate with a low glycemic value, which doesn't spike your insulin level. it's a good carb for extended energy, it's inexpensive, and it tastes great in your shake. it makes the shake really thick, and it tastes good. i just bought some the last time that i made my order.
if you have any questions, feel free to ask. the site, though, is very good about helping you. you can email them, go into a chat room with the owner, leave questions on their message board, or you can call them. it's a great site! don't worry... i'm in no way affiliated with the proteinfactory. it's just that i've been using there products for about 6 years, and it's so great that i recommend it to everyone who uses protein supplements. after i tell someone about it, they never go anywhere else. trust me.
best of luck.
