Often when we think of bodybuilders, we see images of giant, muscle-bound men downing raw eggs, because they are so high in protein. But you’ll be forgiven for thinking that the idea of downing raw eggs is a bit disgusting, and a bit extreme.
Let’s dissect this image.
Protein is essential, not only if you want to build significant bulky muscles, but also if you want to lose weight with lean muscle, or just train for any kind of serious physical activity.
Eggs are a great source of protein. The average raw egg contains six grams of protein, and, as an animal-derived protein, it is better for us than plant-based proteins because it is easier for our bodies to absorb, and contains all of the essential amino acids that our bodies need.
But downing raw eggs is not the best way to get your egg protein. Egg protein powder is a more palatable and healthier way to incorporate this protein into your diet.
In today’s article, we are going to look at all the benefits of egg protein powder, the best egg protein powders that you can buy today, and the best way to incorporate egg protein powder into your diet.
Why Protein Powder?
Protein powders are a great way to up your protein intake without adding excessive calories to your diet, and without having to spend your whole day cooking and digesting steak dinners (as fun as that would be).
It is recommended that you eat most protein powders as a 30-gram serving twice a day. The exact nutritional compound of the powder varies, but you can expect a single serving to contain around 25 grams of protein, 100 calories, and only trace amounts of carbohydrates and fats.
Shake the powder up into a smoothie, mix it into a soup bowl, or add it as an alternative to flour in a recipe, and you have a nice big protein boost without undermining the rest of your diet, whether you are eating keto, low-fat, paleo, or whatever. There are even vegan protein powders out there, such as pea protein and pumpkin protein.
The Benefits of Egg Protein Powder
But, of all the protein powders out there, egg protein powder is one of the best because it is one of the few animal-derived proteins available.
Egg protein powder is made from the whites of the eggs only, which contain 67 percent of the protein in eggs, and none of the cholesterol or other nasties.
This remaining protein contains all nine of the essential amino acids. They are called essential as these are amino acids that the body cannot produce itself, and must be obtained from food. They fulfil essential functions in the body, especially when it comes to muscle building, growth, and recovery.
The nine essential amino acids are:
- Histidine – important to immune response, digestions, and sexual function
- Isoleucine – part of immune function and energy regulation
- Leucine – regulates blood sugar levels
- Lysine – support hormone and enzyme production
- Methionine – core to the metabolism and detoxification
- Phenylalanine – essential to the production of neurotransmitters
- Threonine – principal part of collagen and elastin
- Tryptophan – contributes to the regulation of appetite, sleep, and mood
- Valine – stimulates muscle growth and regeneration and supports energy production
It is because of the presence of all these amino acids that animal-derived protein is considered better than plant-based protein. The latter generally only contains a selection of the above nine. That doesn’t mean that you have to drop your vegan diet to get the protein that you need, just that you need to eat a variety of different plant-based proteins to ensure that you cover the full spectrum of amino acids.
In addition to this, eggs are considered a superior source of protein because it is highly digestible, which means that it is easy for the body to extract the nutrients that it needs from this type of protein. It generally takes 3-4 hours for the body to digest egg protein, which means that it also leaves you feeling full for around that period of time.
8 Best Egg White Protein Powders
Bulk Pure Egg White Powder
If you are just looking for pure egg white powder with nothing else added, then one of the best quality and affordable options that you will find is Bulk Pure.
The brand is known for making high-quality protein powders with nothing else added. The resulting powder contains 87 percent protein and all the essential amino acids to give you the best results with the minimum fuss.
It is ideal for the lactose intolerant that are steering clear of whey.
- £19.99 per KG
- 87 grams of protein per 100 grams
- 882 calories per 100 grams
- 4 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams
- 2 grams of fat per 100 grams
Scitec Nutrition Egg Pro Non-Milk Source Complete Protein Powder
No products found.This non-dairy egg white protein powder is ideal for anyone on a low-fat diet, as it contains absolutely no fat, and is also lower in calories than most options.
Available in chocolate and vanilla flavours, it also has added taurine for an energy and performance boost.
No products found.
Bulk Complete Protein Blend Whey, Milk, and Egg Protein Shake
If you are looking for a blended protein powder that contains egg white as one of the ingredients, this option from Bulk Powders is a great choice. It mixes whey, milk, and egg protein at a 50:35:15 ratio for a potent blend.
The shake is available in seven different flavours, including chocolate, chocolate peanut, and strawberry. It should keep you feeling full and energized for longer as it mixes both slow and fast release protein.
The recipe also contains added Glutamine Peptides, an enhanced form of L-Glutamine that enhances muscle growth and recovery.
- £22.99 per KG
- 77.6 grams of protein per 100 grams
- 362 calories per 100 grams
- 3 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams
- 4.4. grams of fat per 100 grams
Bio-Synergy Paleo-Protein Pure Egg White
This powder is made from 100 percent organic egg whites developed into a low-fat recipe ideal for anyone looking to develop lean muscle.
Bio-Synergy is one of the most trusted supplement companies out there. In the past, they have been the official supplies to the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Commonwealth Games.
They test all of their formulas with top athletes to ensure that they are both an effective and safe performance enhancement aid.
- £34 per KG
- 82.4 grams of protein per 100 grams
- 376 calories per 100 grams
- 4.5 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams
- 9 grams of fat per 100 grams
Yamamoto Nutrition Ultra Egg Protein
This chocolate flavoured egg white powder is one of the tastiest on the market and ideal for anyone who isn’t generally a fan of the taste of protein shakes.
An Italian produced dietary supplement, the company is dedicated to making their products from good quality natural ingredients.
- £37.40 per KG
- 76 grams of protein per 100 grams
- 388 calories per 100 grams
- 4.9 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams
- 1.1 grams of fat per 100 grams
Prozis 100% Egg White Albumin
This chocolate flavoured egg white powder is made from pasteurized eggs from free-range chickens, so it is easy on the conscious, as well as enhancing your results.
There are no added ingredients or thickeners, but still manages to be tasty thanks to the inclusion of fat-reduced cocoa powder.
All bacteria are removed, so there is also no need to worry about issues such salmonella.
- £40.00 per KG
- 80 grams of protein per 100 grams
- 350 calories per 100 grams
- 7 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams
- 1.5 grams of fat per 100 grams
Bodybuilding Warehouse Pure Egg White Protein Powder
This powder is made purely from egg whites, with nothing added, which means that it is easily digested by the body over a 3-4 hour period, leaving you feeling full.
This powder is a bit thicker than some of the other powders, which makes it a great option when it comes to cooking.
- £18 per KG
- 86 grams of protein per 100 grams
- 377 calories per 100 grams
- 4.3 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams
- 0.33 grams of fat per 100 grams
Peak Supps Egg White Powder
Another pure egg white powder, this is another affordable source of protein for adding to your diet. Unflavoured, it can be added to shakes or used in cooking and baking.
The powder is highly stable, and while it is recommended that you drink shakes made from it immediately, they can be kept in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- £18.49 per KG
- 82 grams of protein per 100 grams
- 376 calories per 100 grams
- 4.5 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams
- 0.4 grams of fat per 100 grams
How to Eat Egg Protein Powder?
So, how exactly can you integrate egg protein powder into your diet to improve your results?
Well, while the recommended daily protein intake for the average sedentary man, who isn’t trying to make any significant changes to his body, is around 60 grams per day, if you are trying to build muscle or lose weight, you might need twice that.
While you should speak to a sports nutritionist to see exactly what you need to reach your goals, a general rule of thumb is that if you are trying to build muscle or lose weight, you want to eat around 2.2 grams of protein per kg of lean body mass per day.
Lean body mass means your muscle, tissues, and essential organs – you don’t want to be feeding the fat that you want to see disappear.
Nevertheless, for a 90 kg man with about 20 percent body fat, they will still need to eat 160 grams of protein a day to deed their 72 kg of lean body mass. That’s a lot of protein, so you are going to want to be adding protein-rich foods to pretty much everything you eat whether that scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast, the avocado and cottage cheese salad for lunch, and the steak or chicken breast that you have for dinner.
But, while you should be working hard to get a lot of the protein that you need from the fresh foods that you eat, protein powders, like egg white protein powder, can fill the gap.
The easiest way to ingest your egg protein powder is as a smoothie, by just mixing the powder with an appropriate amount of water. The taste can certainly take some getting used to, and this is why you will find a wide variety of chocolate, strawberry, and other flavoured protein powders.
These shakes are best ingested after your workout. In the window of between about 10 and 60 minutes after your workout, your body is in muscle building mode, responding to the work that you did in the gym. At this time the body is actively seeking the protein that it needs to do this work, so down your protein shake during this window.
The shake can also be ingested as a snack during the day, or even alongside a small meal. It will not only boost your overall protein intake, but will help you feel fuller for longer.
You can also get creative and add protein powders to a variety of meals. Use it to thicken a soup, use it as a replacement for flour in baking recipes (including pancakes), or make your own protein powder balls.
You should limit yourself to a maximum of three servings of protein powder a day. This is because so much pure protein can be hard on the digestive system.
It is also a good idea to build up your daily protein intake gradually over time, rather than going from 50 to 150 grams overnight, as it will take your body time to adjust to its new diet. And even with this precaution, you can expect some interesting and not necessarily pleasant bathroom experiences in your first few weeks of ingesting protein powder. Sadly, it is just something that you have to “stick out” until your body adjusts.
FAQs
Is egg white protein good for weight loss?
Yes, egg white protein is good for weight loss because it is low in calories and fat, but high in the protein that your body needs to build lean muscle.
Building muscle is essential to losing weight as it boosts your metabolism, meaning that you burn more calories throughout the day, making it easier for you to lose weight.
Is egg white powder and egg white protein powder the same thing?
Yes, egg white powder and egg white protein powder are the same thing. Both are made purely from dried egg whites converted into powdered form, which are naturally high in protein.
However, these should not be confused with powdered protein shake recipes that use egg white as their basis, as these may also contain other ingredients, such as cocoa, for a tastier recipe.
Do egg whites cause gas?
While you aren’t likely to suffer from gas if you eat the occasional egg white, if you suddenly start eating lots of egg whites, and significantly increase your protein intake, you are likely to suffer from gas and an upset stomach.
This is part of your body adjusting to your new diet. This is true whenever you make a significant change to your diet. For this reason, it is best to transition to a new diet over time, rather than changing abruptly, to give your body a chance to adjust.
The Verdict
Egg protein powder is one of the best protein powders on the market because it is highly digestible and contains all the essential amino acids that the body needs to build, maintain, and regulate muscles.
Egg protein, made from egg whites, has the edge over most plant-based proteins because animal-derived proteins are easier for the human body to digest and contain more of the essential amino acids that the body needs.
Many people also prefer it to whey protein, which contains dairy, and therefore can be harsh on the stomach.
But whatever kind of protein powder you prefer, it is a great way to increase your protein intake without adding loads of extra calories to your diet.
Used sensibly, protein powder can be a great way to boost your results, whether you are trying to build muscle, lose weight, or just reach your peak performance.
References
- Essential Amino Acids – Healthline
- Calculate how much protein you need – Bodybuilding.com
- High Protein Diet: Foods and how to do it – Medical News Today
- High Protein Diet: Benefits and Risks – WebMD
Last update on 2024-04-08 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
