However these contain many more calories from fat and carbohydrate than they do from whey isolate and concentrate,” Thompson explains. “Whilst these may help to increase mass, it is most likely the increase will come from fat rather than muscle.” I shake the isolate with water, and the salted caramel blends fine with a shaker, the taste isnt bad either, infact its quite pleasent. Wondering if a daily shake is too much? “As long as you’re not completely relying on them over whole food protein sources, which will contain more micronutrients, it’s fine to use a protein powder every day,” says Butcher. If you’re bored, try some in your morning porridge or smoothie. Which protein powder is best for weight loss? Protein powders may be convenient for building muscle but they’re only really necessary for vegans, who don’t eat enough protein or elite athletes who are training most days every week. Personal trainer Max Lowery wrote in a 2mealday blog post, “The average untrained person needs as little as 60-75g of protein and the average trained person who exercises three times a week needs 1.2g - 2g per kilo of bodyweight. You can easily get enough protein from eating real food - the western diet is protein dense.”

If you are like me and would love to build solid muscle but suffer from IBS / Dairy Tollerance. This blend maybe just what you need to grow. Whatever your goal is when taking protein powders, nothing beats having a good quality, complete protein source,” says Butcher. “Whey is the gold standard there.” Who should take protein powders? Heads up, these details are based on unflavoured Impact Whey Isolate. The nutritional content may vary based on the flavour you choose. Some powders additionally contain creatine, which can boost performance during high-intensity exercise; powders designed to build lean muscle may contain L-carnitine, which helps your body use fat as fuel for exercise. Then there’s also good old caffeine, the most beloved energy booster of all, which can be found in many protein powders. I found the powder mixed well with milk or even yoghurt thanks to the fine consistency and I love that it comes in so many different flavours. The powder is low in fat and sugar, although it does use sucralose and acesulfane K to sweeten, which might make some flavours a little sweet for some.Whey concentrate is the most common form and is often the cheapest, according to Rachel Butcher, head nutritionist at Natural Fitness Food. “It typically has low fat and cholesterol content but the protein levels can vary from 40 to 90% depending on the brand,” she says. “If your goal is to build muscle, a whey concentrate with a higher protein content is probably the best to go for.”

READ NEXT: The best meal replacement shakes How much do I need to spend – and how long will a tub last?To decide on the best protein powder for you, it helps to ask: what are protein powders for? Protein is a nutrient needed all over the body to help build, repair and maintain tissue. It is made up of chains of amino acids, nine of which are termed ‘essential’ since your body can’t make them itself. I have taken this every day for over a week now with no ill side effects, no bloating, no primevil sludge errupting from my bowels. Just glorious anacondas.