[ketan007]

It's a very interesting thread.

I used Dymatize Isolate whey protein way back in 2015. I never had any issues, such as a bloated stomach or indigestion. It's an excellent product, in my opinion. I stopped using it due to its unavailability at that time. But now, it is available on various websites.

Then, I started using Optimum Nutrition's gold standard whey protein. Again, it is a very good product, and I have never had any complaints.

I would recommend these two products, and I believe we should spend what it's worth on whey products rather than compromising on the quality.

[NarediAni7518]

I have been using MyProtein Whey Concentrate for the past 4 months or so. Have loved it better than MuscleBlaze which I had started taking few months before MyProtein. A friend had recommended to use MyProtein, and I'm loving it till now. Have started gymming recently and so started consuming protein being a vegetarian who doesn't like soya in any form. Haven't faced any issues as such with this brand but felt it to be definitely better than MuscleBlaze. And the occasional offers makes it a bit cheaper than ON.

[TDIRaghav]

Originally Posted by GTO

1. Please share the best brands, products & recommendations.

I have been using Whole Truth whey protein for the last few months and this doesn’t make me feel bloated like other brands did. I would highly recommend this.

[MileCruncher]

Remembered this ET article from 3 days back. A very good read.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...3.cms?from=mdr

Also the number of responses on this thread empirically proves the surging popularity.

[ajitmoses]

ON is the market leader. If you are ok with milk, then ON isolate is a good choice. I’ve been using this for 20 years now. 2 grams of protein per kg of body weight is ideal but worst case one must at least aim for 1 gram per kg. 5G of creatine along with it is also recommended. These are two supplements that have been widely studied and shown to help. Indian diets seriously lack protein and vegetarians in particular. This carb overload is what causes most of us have protruded bellies. Ideally you want to get 70% of your protein from food and rest via a shake. Once you figure out how to eat right, it becomes very easy. Harder for vegetarians but surely doable without trying too hard. Good luck on the Gains!

[Gaur]

Originally Posted by GTO

My gym trainer has recommended Whey Protein to me. Ran it by my doctor and he too has suggested the same. I gym 6 days a week and am a pure vegetarian.

I am also a vegetarian like you but have stopped gym since covid but planning to start soon, sharing my experience.

As a word of caution, a lot of fakes available in India, online and even in shops, so finding a reliable source should be the task, try avoiding anything that your gym trainer is (if he is) trying to sell you.

I was recommended a European brand Olimp by one of my friend long time back, i used to generally get it from Germany whenever i was travelling or ask some of my friend to get it for me if i was running out of stock. I see that its available online in India also now.

https://gainsx.in/product/olimp-spor...-complex-5lbs/

I was told by my friend and also the shop guy in germany that its one of the good ones available in the market.
It showed good results and mixes very well with milk or water and didn't create any digestion/bloating issues.

As an alternative i also tried plant (hemp) based protein from India hemp organics, it was for a short duration so couldn't comment on the efficacy.
However the taste may not be to everyone's liking also it didn't mix very well with water (didnt try with milk).

https://indiahemporganics.com/produc...44699652227375

Would suggest not to rely on one source of protein alone.
How about trying some yogurt and raw paneer ? as it has Casein which is a slow releasing type of protein recommended to consume before sleeping so that it gets released overnight.

There are some vitamins/essential nutrients that vegetarians lack, would suggest trying out some supplements for that as well.

[AheadAJ]

Do you really need a protein supplement?

Let me put a contrarian viewpoint. Please ignore it if you don’t agree.

To begin with, both doctors and gym trainers, until they are qualified nutritionists, are not competent to comment on specifics of supplementation.

Agreed, they can say you need to jack up or tone down a specific macro-nutrient but for everything else they will (and should) refer you to a dietician.

Same goes for a gym trainer. In fact during my wife’s Personal Fitness Training Course, one of her trainers who was a Ph.D. in Nutrition made it clear to the class that their purview was only to properly train and not prescribe diet.

That’s part one.

The other aspect is that sports science and nutrition are fairly well-researched.

A dietician will assess nutritional requirement appropriate for your age. Add additional calorie need as per your activity level. They will also examine your current diet and in conjunction with your goal find gaps and coming up with a meal plan. In case, there are gaps, which cannot be filled by food, suggest appropriate supplements.

I am sure the nutritional recommendation will surprise you.

The process is straight-forward, evidence based and you can easily confirm the calculation/recommendations at various online sites.

The third and the most important part.

Assuming you have cared for your heart, sugar and cholesterol, more than muscles it is bone that requires attention. Get a bone mass density (BMD) test, and, if the results don’t give you a jolt, you are not only taking a good care of yourself but also a part of an exceptional tribe.

PS: A dietician prescription will hardly cost one-third or half of your monthly whey intake, making it worth taking a professional advice.

[zyksstar]

Been using ON Gold Standard 100% Whey for several years and can vouch for it. Available in an array of flavors but would recommend to start with double rich chocolate.

For buying my only caution is to source it from reliable stores - preferably from an authorized store or from their official website.

[crazy_coyote166]

You should also know that most protein powder supplements are adulterated with various degress of protein content.

This twitter thread does the analysis comparing multiple brands which are sold online:
https://x.com/theliverdr/status/1629670100595888128

[rvd8732]

Do try Nutrija, they are backed by real scientific study and Muscle Blaze Raw Whey Protein, great results.

[DAYDREAMER]

My son has tried many brands from India as well as from outside. According to him the difference in quality, digestion, texture, mixing, taste is quite noticeable. Moreover the fear of fake product is always there back of the mind. So I try to get it from outside whenever someone from circle is visiting India. Among Indian brands he likes GNC a lot.

May I add a new question here?

In addition to whey there are some other supplements like BCAA, creatinine, fish oil, multi vitamins, spirulina etc. Can someone shed some light on how and when and under what conditions we should use them? Maybe someone who is doing intense workout or playing some sports professionally need them.

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by DAYDREAMER

In addition to whey there are some other supplements like BCAA, creatinine, fish oil, multi vitamins, spirulina etc. Can someone shed some light on how and when and under what conditions we should use them?

Not a nutritional expert here. I am an eggetarian and I take Swisse multivitamin for men (not very regular, may be 3 times a week), Swisse fish oil, and Amway plant protein (again not regular, 3-4 days a week). I had tried multiple fish oil brands and the only two brands that worked for me were Swisse (imported from Australia) and Lýsi (an Icelandic brand). Too bad Amazon isn't selling Lýsi in India anymore. I guess buyers are extremely low in number for expensive supplements here in India. I don't trust Indian brands on any of these vitamin and omega3 supplements, I had bad experience with the brand called Wow.

I had real bad experience with spirulina during my late twenties (don't know what made me to start it, may be I fell for the ads). After consuming it for a week, I started seeing blood in my stools. Stopped it immediately.

You will eventually know what works for you and what doesn't.

[Toothrocker]

Well I might be sharing an unpopular opinion here and it's entirely my experience with whey. Whey protein might elevate testosterone level which in turn might increase DHT hormone which in turn leads to hair fall.. you may check this on reddit, but this being such a big industry, there are hell lot of studies to counter it.. I experienced hair fall and it stopped once I stopped with whey.. This is my personal opinion, but the more I dwell on it, the more receding hairlines I see in gym goers compared to people generally.

[sydras]

My post on this thread will be a little different.

As an individual who's dabbled with home workouts since the age of 22 and started hitting the gym at the age of 42 only to get arthritis a few months later, I would like to caution folks especially those over 40 who frequent the gym and make lifestyle and dietary changes in the pursuit of muscle gains.

1) Folks over 40, do not overdo it. Your body needs to be with you for the rest of your life. So, overdoing it or working out like you're 25 is a bad idea. You cannot recover that easily as you did when you were young. Also note that your body is in a state of inflammation after exercise so overdoing it without adequate downtime might lead to osteoarthitis at the joints after a few months especially since you are not in your prime anymore. Also, it's better to avoid a personal trainer who does not take your age into account when deciding a workout regimen with low reps for you.

2) This is for everyone. Do note that the oats that you eat may be contaminated with glyphosate which is a herbicide and a toxin. So, do not think that you are getting the best source of protein from oats. Folks with a family history of psoriasis and/or arthritis need to be cautious about what they eat. Natural foods are the best. Organically grown oats should be fine but I'm unaware of any such brand of oats.

3) Do not give up rice altogether in favour of millet and especially wheat. The wheat (and most grains) that we get today is higly hybridized for pest resistance and as a consequence, as compared to the strains of wheat that we used to eat years ago, the proteins they contain are highly inflammatory and cause gut health issues for many folks.

W.r.t. protein powders, while I was on Optimum Nutrition's supplement back in 2022, I was fine. I then switched to Muscleblaze to save some money and soon afterwards, I got arthritis and gave up protein powders and gymming completely. But, I can't conclusively say that Muscleblaze wasn't good. However, I'd stick with the foreign brands except maybe, the whole truth.

[Hatchback_dude]

Originally Posted by Eddy

"TheLiverDoc" on Twitter is a very polarising figure when it comes to medical advice. Here is his report on the protein supplements available in India.

https://x.com/theliverdr/status/1629670100595888128

This is one of the most exhaustive studies and I have personally tried all the top three options recommended. Origin and Nutrabox both are wonderful depending upon personal dietary requirements regarding source of the protein - vegan or whey.