Protein Matrix: The Right Protein For You

There are so many different types of protein shakes on the market today, from the slow releasing Calcium Caseinate to the rapidly absorbed Hydrolysed Whey. But how do you know which one is right for you? Here we take a comprehensive look at what protein is best for you, taking everything into consideration from your training goals, nutritional habits, even what protein is best for certain times of the day. If you thought you knew about protein powder, think again. This protein matrix guide explains everything you need to know about the most important primary macronutrient to an athlete’s recovery; Protein. Starting with the very basics and getting more complex.

To get the very best results from your hard work in the gym, you must have a basic understanding of the importance of diet, lifestyle & supplementation, whether your goals are losing fat, gaining muscle, keeping healthy or playing a sport. This guide from Myprotein.com is designed to give you a basic overview of protein, a nutrient essential for the growth & repair of muscles.

What Is Protein?

Protein is one of the nutrients along with carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. It’s found in muscles, bone, hemoglobin, myoglobin, hormones, antibodies, and enzymes. Muscles themselves are approximately 70% water and only about 20% protein, therefore increasing muscle mass requires extra water, extra energy in the form of carbohydrates (to maintain the needs of that extra muscle), and extra protein. Protein is made up of essential and non-essential amino acids, which are the "building blocks" for healthy bodies. Amino acids are nitrogen-containing compounds that make up the building blocks of protein. Amino acids can be classed as either ‘essential’ or ‘non-essential’. Essential amino acids are those that must be consumed in the diet because the body can’t produce them on its own.

Why do I need protein?

Protein is often referred to as the building blocks of life and is essential for the repair and growth of muscles after exercise. How it works is whenever you exercise, and particularly during weight training, you cause tiny, little damage to the muscle itself (you basically ‘tear’ these things called myofibrils which are small protein filaments in the muscle fiber that help the muscle contract). And it’s these tiny ‘tears’ that create a stimulus for the muscle to repair and regrow bigger because the body responds to the damage by sending nutrients (such as protein) and other growth factors like testosterone to the muscle to help it grow.

How much protein do you need?

The International Olympic Committee Consensus on Sports Nutrition states ‘strength or speed athletes require 1.7grams of protein per kg of bodyweight per day.’ For a 100kg rugby player this equates to 170 grams of protein per day (usually broken down into 6 meals spaced roughly 2 hours apart throughout the day, each containing 28.33 grams of protein each.)

Which protein shake do I need?

Now on to which protein is best for you. Firstly everybody is unique, and everybody’s goals are different, so picking the right protein shake to suit your body is key (and not necessarily straight forward.) So to make things simple we’ve listed all the different protein shakes categorized by when you would need them.

Protein For Increasing Muscle Size

For your muscles to increase in size you need to do some form of strength training to create a stimulus that will cause tiny ‘tears’ to the muscle, which will then in turn call for nutrients to be sent to repair and rebuild the muscle. But to really increase muscle size your muscles need to be sent more than just protein, and that is why Myprotein.com created Hurricane XS, an ‘all in one’ supplement muscle builder.

Very popular with athletes who want to build muscle size, including sprinters, rugby players, bodybuilders and regular gym users, it has 29.6 grams of protein per 70gram serving as well as 20.3 grams of quality slow digesting carbohydrates making this formula ideal for consumption as either a meal replacement or after exercise shake. Furthermore Hurricane XS includes Creapure (5g per serving) - the purest form of creatine monohydrate, proven to increase strength, power and speed, HMB (1.5g per serving) which is shown to reduce muscle breakdown and also the most abundant amino acid, L-Glutamine (5g per serving), which is also shown to promote muscle growth.

Protein For Fat Loss

As already discussed protein is essential if you want to build more muscle, but what many people don’t know is the right protein can also help you lose fat. See protein has the effect of keeping you fuller for longer (thereby decreasing the calories you consume) it can also help regulate your blood sugar levels which means you won’t have as many sugar cravings and lastly as you build more muscle, you actually burn more calories since with the added muscle your metabolism has to increase correspondingly.

So which protein is best? Studies show Impact Whey Isolate, since it’s one of the purest whey proteins currently available on the market containing a massive 90% protein. In a study conducted by The American Society for Nutritional Sciences, it states ‘whey protein is more effective than red meat in reducing body weight.’ This is perhaps because it has a very small carbohydrate and fat content (0.3 grams of fat and 0.2 grams of carbohydrates per 30gram serving) and only contains 0.2 grams of lactose per serving. Also because it is such a great protein it serves many purposes and can be taken in the morning (since your muscles have been starved of protein whilst asleep) in between meals, 1 hour before exercise or immediately after.

Protein For After Exercise

After exercise you need a protein shake that is quickly absorbed, so your muscles receive the protein as quick as possible and can then repair and regrow. As a result one of the best choices as an after exercise shake would be Hydrolysed Whey Protein. This protein has had its amino bonds broken and predigested (i.e. the amino acid peptide bonds are broken enzymatically into shorter chain of amino acids) meaning it’s faster absorbed than most other proteins.

Protein For Night Time

Your last meal before you go to bed is very important because you are essentially going to go without food and fast for the next 7 hours. So ideally you need a protein that is absorbed slowly and that can slowly feed you whilst you sleep. One of the best choices for this is Calcium Caseinate, it’s made from dried skimmed milk and has been shown to have one of the slowest absorption rates of all proteins. Or Milk Protein Smooth is also a casein based product to be consumed before bed and an alternative to Calcium Caseinate. It’s 78% Micellar Casein and the rest is made up from whey protein and bioactive proteins. The product is sourced from casein and whey in the same ratio as found in naturally in milk. Casein is the main protein in milk; the product is milk protein concentrate containing micellar casein and whey in the same ratio as skimmed milk (80% casein to 20% whey). Also as a result of the reduced fat content, this product will have a similar consistency to Impact Whey Isolate, therefore making it a good choice for anyone wanting to lose fat too. Research shows that when you consume casein, you will reach a peak in blood amino acids and protein synthesis between three to four hours, however this can last as long as 7 hours after ingestion.

Protein For Sport

When choosing a sports protein drink you need one that is designed to promote gains in strength, size, speed and endurance whilst also supporting maximum exercise recovery. MP MAX® Hurricane Evo has been designed for that exact reason, the protein blend will provide a tapered release of protein to your muscles. The ratio is 40% milk protein, 30% whey concentrate, and 30% egg albumen. The carb content is ultra-fine Scottish oats prefect for providing a steady release of carbohydrate to the working muscles during sport.

To further improve the recovery process, HMB and Glutamine peptides are included in order to maximise protein synthesis/ muscle repair. Hurricane Evo also includes creatine monohydrate - one of the most popular and successful sports supplements, proven to increase strength, power, speed and endurance. And in order to aid digestion and absorption, Hurricane Evo also includes digestive aids including digezyme and lactospore.

Lastly as with all products in the MP MAX ELITE® range, MP MAX® ELITE Hurricane Evo has been batch tested for WADA banned substances by HFL Sport Science under their INFORMED-SPORT programme, for additional peace of mind.

Protein For Easy Digestion

Our stomachs have to break down the protein we eat into smaller free amino acids (called di- and tripeptides) before they can be absorbed and used and digestion takes time and energy for enzyme production. That is why Myprotein.com created PeptoPro®, a unique protein hydrolysate derived from the casein protein fraction of cow’s milk, which is neutral in taste. It consists of ~85% protein. The protein is rich in small peptides; ~60% is smaller than 500 Dalton. Molecular mapping indicates that ~7.5% is free amino acids, ~8.5% is dipeptides, and ~39% is tripeptides. The secret lies in a patent-protected enzyme that reduces the typical bitter taste at the same time as generating tiny protein fragments (so-called peptides) that are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream and so fuel the muscles.


Lastly with the largest range of proteins in Europe, Myprotein.com offers an unparalleled choice of premium proteins. Therefore to make it easier for you to identify which one is right for you, we have put together a simple protein guide below:


Further Reading and References:

Short, S.H. and Short, W.R (1983) ‘Four-year study of university athletes' dietary intake’ 1983 Jun;82(6):632-45.
M. A. Tarnopolsky, J. D. MacDougall, and S. A. Atkinson (1999) ‘Influence of protein intake and training status on nitrogen balance and lean body mass’ Journal of Applied Physiology
Economos, D.D. Bortz, S.S. Nelson, M.E (1993) ‘Nutritional practices of elite athletes. Practical recommendations.’ Journal of Sports Medicine 1993 Dec;16(6):381-99.
Paul GL. Dietary protein requirements of physically active individuals. Sports Med 1989; 8:154-176.
Boirie, Y., et al., "Slow and Fast Dietary Proteins Differently Modulate Post-Prandial Protein Accretion," Proc Natl Acad Sci 94 (1997) : 14930-5.

Dangin, M., et al., "The Digestion Rate of Protein Is an Independent Regulating Factor of Post-Prandial Protein Retention," Am J Physiol (Endocrinology & Metabolism) 280.2 (2001) : E340 -8.

Gambelunghe, C., et al., "Physical Exercise Intensity Can Be Related to Plasma Glutathione Levels," J Physiol Biochem 57.2 (1997) : 9-14.

Kerksick, C., et al., "Effects of Whey Protein Supplementation with Casein or BCAA & Glutamine on Training Adaptations II: Performance," Med Sci Sport Exer 35.5 (2003) : abstract 2204.

Kreider, R., et al., "Effects of Whey Protein Supplementation with Casein or BCAA & Glutamine on Training Adaptations I: Body Composition," Med Sci Sport Exer 35.5 (2003) : abstract 2205.
Leeuwenburgh, C., and Li, L.L., "Glutathione Depletion in Rested and Exercised Mice: Biochemical Consequences and Adaptation," Arch Biochem Biophys 316.22 (1995) : 941-9.
Leeuwenburgh, C., and Li, L.L., "Glutathione and Glutathione Ester Supplementation of Mice Alter Glutathione Homeostasis During Exercise," J Nutr 128.12 (1998) : 2420-6.
Lemon, P.W.R., et al., "Protein Requirements and Muscle Mass/Strength Changes During Intensive Training in Novice Bodybuilders," J Appl Physiol 73 (1992) : 767-7.
Lemon, P.W.R., "Effects of Exercise on Protein Metabolism. In Nutrition in Sport (Maughan, R.J. [ed.], Blackwell Science Ltd., 1257-65) 2000.
Sen, CK., et al., "Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress: Glutathione Supplementation and Deficiency," J Appl Physiol 77.5 (1994) : 2177-87.
Svensson, M.B., "Endogenous Antioxidants in Human Skeletal Muscle and Adaptation of Energy Metabolism: With Reference to Exercise—Training, Exercise Factors and Nutrition," Ph.D. Thesis, Karolinska Institute, Sweden, 2003.
Tarnopolsky, M.A., et al., "Evaluation of Protein Requirements for Strength Trained Athletes," J Appl Physiol 73 (1992) : 1986-95.
Ziemlanski, S., et al., "Balanced Intraintestinal Nutrition: Digestion, Absorption and Biological Value of Selected Preparations of Milk Proteins," Acta Physiol Pol 29.6 (1978) : 543-56.
Yves Boirie, Martial Dangin, Pierre Gachon, Marie-Paule Vasson, Jean-Louis Maubois, and Bernard Beaufrère (1997) ‘Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion’