Ah yes, protein powder. It’s the first supplement people typically turn to when they decide they want to lose fat, build muscle or just improve the way their body looks or performs in any capicity.

Of course, once the decision to use protein powder has been made, a lot of basic questions commonly arise. For example:

• What does it do? What are its benefits?
• Does it really work?
• What’s the difference between whey and casein? Which is better?
• How and when should you take it?
• Are there any potential side effects?
• What brand is the best?

So, let’s answer all of those questions (and more) right now…

What Is Protein Powder?

As one of the most popular supplements on the planet, you probably know what protein powder is. And if you don’t, I’m sure you can guess.

It’s just… protein… in powdered form. Surprise!

You know how foods like chicken, fish, and beef are high in protein? Well, think of protein powder as a much quicker and much more convenient version of those types of foods.

You just mix some form of protein powder (whey, casein, etc.) with some form of liquid (water, milk, etc.) and taaadaaa… you instantly have yourself a drinkable high protein meal (aka a protein shake).

What Does Protein Powder Do? What Are Its Benefits?

Technically speaking, protein powder doesn’t actually DO anything other than provide you with a quick and convenient source of protein.

Where the benefits lie are with protein itself. Protein powder just so happens to provide that protein in a high quality, tasty, low calorie, convenient form.

As I’ve explained before (What Does Protein Do?), your daily protein intake is the second most important part of every single diet plan. 

Why is it so important, you ask? Well, here’s a quick recap:

• In terms of the overall health and function of your body, it plays a crucial role in the growth, repair or function of organs, bones, hair, skin, blood, and… oh yeah… muscle!
• In terms of building muscle, the human body just can NOT build (or even maintain) muscle if you don’t eat a sufficient amount of protein on a daily basis.
• In terms of losing fat, consuming enough protein each day is the dietary key to ensuring the weight you lose is fat and NOT muscle.
• Protein has also proven to be the most filling of the 3 macronutrients (more than carbs or fat), which means it plays the largest role in controlling your hunger and curbing your appetite.
• It also has the largest thermic effect, which means it requires more calories to be burned during digestion than any other macronutrient (again more than carbs or fat).

So basically, a sufficient daily protein intake is an absolute requirement for overall health, building muscle, maintaining muscle while losing fat, keeping you full and satisfied, and helping you naturally burn more calories each day.