The Best Protein Powders for Women for Strength and Energy

Buying Guide: Protein Powder for Women

If you want to stay fit and healthy without putting in a ton of effort, protein powders are a great way to increase your protein intake and support muscle recovery and growth. Here’s everything that you need to know to successfully shop for a protein powder for women.

What Are Protein Powders?

Protein powders are supplements that you mix with water, milk, or other similar liquids made from whey, casein, eggs, or plants. Each powder contains a large amount of protein per serving (as well as other nutrients). The goal of protein powder is to provide the consumer with a good source of protein without having to eat traditional protein sources, such as meat or nuts. This makes them especially useful in making up for a lack of protein in certain diets, such as for vegetarians and vegans.

Why You Should Consider Adding Protein Powder to Your Diet

It helps build muscle

One of the most popular reasons athletes and bodybuilders consume protein powder is that it’s very helpful for gaining muscle more efficiently. Protein is the building block of muscle, which means that you’ll want to have a good amount of it in your system if you love working out and being physically active. By having sufficient levels of protein after exercise, your muscles will repair more efficiently, which can lead to faster muscle growth and bigger gains.

Working out and building strength are great for your overall health. Working out without sufficient protein in your diet, however, can hinder your recovery and performance. Whether you want to get better at weightlifting or running, consuming enough protein will help you get ready for the next workout.

Protein is vital to the human body

Even if you’re not interested in gaining muscle, protein is still an essential macronutrient. Women are advised to consume around 0.36 gram of weight of body weight. While this may seem like a lot, most women can meet these daily amounts by eating meat or other protein-rich foods.

Unfortunately, if you’re on a diet that limits eating certain foods, then you may need something to supplement the protein in your body. For example, vegetarians and vegans may need additional protein as they don’t eat meat. That’s where plant based protein powder come in. With a good dose of protein in every serving, they can help you easily meet your daily protein intake needs.

Protein is essential during pregnancy

Protein is always a necessary macronutrient as it is the building block of all our cells. During pregnancy, protein becomes even more important. Krista Elkins, registered nurse and paramedic, highlighted, “during pregnancy, the recommended total protein intake is 60g per day. A non-pregnant [average] woman, on the other hand, requires only 46g per day.” Proteins increased importance is obviously related to the increased required energy and nutrients to both maintain health and grow a baby. Elkins states, “Protein energy supplementation of up to 20% of daily calories during pregnancy is known to improve overall fetal growth and increase birth weight;[sic] and a critical indicator of a woman’s nutrition during pregnancy is reflected in the infant’s birth weight.” Essentially, protein is essential to monitor during pregnancy.

Factors To Consider When Selecting Your Ideal Protein Powder for Women

Flavor

Protein powder doesn’t really taste all that good on its own, so manufacturers of it usually add some form of flavoring to the mix. This makes a protein shake much more enjoyable to drink. Of course, there are downsides to having sweeteners in your powder, so if you’d rather only enjoy the benefits of protein, there are unsweetened options on the market, too.

When it comes to protein flavors, you’ll find that there are quite a few to choose from. Vanilla is a popular choice among women, but there’s also strawberry, chocolate, iced coffee, pumpkin spice, and many more.

Amount of protein

Not all protein powders share the same amount of protein per serving. Some brands have more concentrated amounts of protein, whereas others have less. The reasons for this may vary, though some protein powders with lower concentrations of protein typically have other nutrients instead, such as vitamins and minerals. When choosing a protein powder, consider how much protein you want to consume per day and work from there.

Protein source

Protein powders for women derive their protein from various sources. The most common source is whey, a type of protein found in milk that is separated and turned into a dissolvable powder. Whey is processed in three ways, resulting in three consumable forms: whey protein concentrate, isolate, and hydrolysate. Concentrate is the least processed form of whey, leaving the highest amount of remaining fat and carbohydrates. Isolate comes from the further filtration of fat and carbs, while hydrolysate undergoes hydrolysis to make the protein’s digestion even quicker. Vegan protein powder  derive their protein from many sources, sometimes just one or a combination of several. Some common sources are peas, rice, soy, hemp, and various seeds. Vegans with allergies may be concerned that powders contain certain allergens if they are complex-based. There’s no need to worry, though, as single-source powders (e.g. pea protein powder ) are widely available online and in stores.