Is cheap protein ok?

[biglee32]

Is the cheaper whey blends on the market really that bad, i get nrg at the moment, retaills at ?35 but its chea[er in the gym, and form onlinei can get
?20 protein for 2.5kg, am i wasting my time, and should have reflex or ON.

[Chococat]

Protein quality does make a difference. But the big difference is that some cheaper proteins get wasted so if your body uses 50% of it then it's like throwing half your money away.

[Jigsaw-Man]

Protein comes from MANY sources and Whey is just one of them. There are two main types of Whey protein which are Whey Concentrate and Whey Isolate. Sometimes companies will blend the two together into a Concentrate/Isolate Blend.

As far as protein quality you always want to buy 100% Isolate. Isolate is a much purer protein that your body can use where as Concentrate is more like a garbage Whey and your body can't absorb or use nearly as much of.

Look on the side of the cannister and it will tell you if it is Concentrate, Isolate, or a mix of both. The pure Isolate is more expensive of course because of the higher quality.

Also note that there are more sources of protein than just Whey and each have their own special uses. Here is a quick list of the more popular sources of protein....

Whey - Extremely High Quality Fast Absorbing (Great for right after workouts)
Egg - Extremely High Quality Moderate Absorbing (Great for throughout the day)
Casein - High Quality Slow Absorbing (Take before bedtime, takes your body hours to break down and works as an anti-catabolic meaning your muscles won't break down at night)