Protein shake/bar/bites/oats/gels/powders is a powdered protein supplement.

• Shake is mixed with water, milk, or juice. They come in a variety of flavors
• Labels on protein shakes suggesting it be taken in cold is not due to the problem of a denatured protein being less nutritious (cooked meats are not less nutritious). The reason is to prevent clumping of the powder, so if necessary it can be mixed with water of room temperature, stirred, and then poured over with hot water. However, Pt's may find that the shake tastes better in cold than hot water
• Protein is usually consumed immediately before/after exercising (e.g. whey protein), before sleep (e.g. casein protein), or in place of a meal
• The RDA for both men and women is 0.8g of good quality protein per kg of body weight, with no additional dietary protein suggested useful for adults undertaking resistance or endurance exercise
• Types include:
  • Whey protein, which contains high lvels of all essential amion acids and BCAA's. It has the highest content of the amino acid cysteine, which aids in the biosynthesis of glutathione (antioxidant). Whey provides amino acids used to aid in muscle recovery. It is protein derived from the process of making cheese from milk. There are 3 types, including whey concentrate (29-89% protein by weight), whey isolate (90%+ protein by weight), and whey hydrosylate (enzymatically predigested and thus has the highest rate of digestion for all protein types)
  • Casein protein (milk protein), which has glutamine and casomorphin
  • Soy protein, from soybeans, which contains isoflavones (a type of phytoestrogen)
  • Egg-white protein, a lactose and dairy-free protein
  • Hemp seed, which contains complete and highly digestible protein, and hemp oil is high in EFA's
  • Rice protein, which when made from the whole grain, is a complete protein source that is highly digestible and allergen free. It is however, low in the amino acid lysine, so often combined with pea protein powder to achieve a superiro amino acid profile
  • Pea protein, which is a hypoallergenic protein with a lighter texture than most other protein powders. It has an amino acid profile similar to soy, but doesn't elicit concerns about unknown effects of phytoestrogens. It is also less allergenic than soy