The Best Protein Powders for Building Muscle in 2023

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Nail your post-training recovery with our guide to the best protein powders, with expert advice from a professional sports nutritionist

While there are plenty of excellent natural sources of protein, when it comes to supporting muscle tissue repair and maximising muscle growth, it's pretty much universally agreed that protein powder supplements are the most convenient way of topping up your daily protein intake.

And while it may seem as simple as heading out and picking up the first tub you find, in reality, choosing the best protein powder to match your goals takes some careful consideration.

That's why we’ve enlisted the help of a professional sports nutritionist to find out all the essential information you need when shopping for protein powder for muscle growth and recovery.

Whether you’re looking for whey protein, vegan protein, casein protein, beef protein, hemp protein (the list goes on), we’ve compiled answers to the most commonly asked questions about protein powder, before listing a handful of our top recommended products that have been rigorously tested by the Men's Health Lab team.

Before we get into our guide, here's a quick round-up of the best protein powders for building muscle, including some of our top picks for whey, vegan and casein powders. For a more detailed breakdown of each, keep scrolling.

Protein powder is essentially powdered and concentrated food. Typically derived from either dairy or plant protein, the main benefit of powdered protein is that it's seen as a more convenient means of increasing the amount of the essential muscle-building macronutrient present in your diet.

The three types of protein powder you’ll most commonly find are whey protein, the liquid by-product of milk that is separated from curd during cheese production, soy protein, a concentrated form of plant-based protein originating from soybeans, and casein protein, a slow-digesting dairy protein that like whey protein is also derived from milk. Other types of powdered protein supplements include beef, rice, hemp, egg and pea.

So, what does protein actually do to your body? As Yiannis Fleming, a sports performance coach and qualified nutritionist, puts it: ‘The protein we consume helps augment recovery and new muscle tissue from our resistance training. As we train and put the muscles under stress, micro-tears occur and it's the protein that helps to repair and develop new tissue.’

Science backs this. According to a study published in the journal Nutrients, 'protein intake was shown to promote additional gains in lean body mass beyond those observed with resistance exercise alone'.

As the name suggests, protein supplements should supplement your diet. They're a tool for quickly and conveniently topping up your daily protein intake and should support a full and balanced diet as opposed to replacing it. If you can hit your daily protein targets in your day-to-day diet, then great. However, if you find that you're extreme eating or just struggling to hit your goals, then a protein powder could be worthwhile.

Related: 11 of the Most Common Protein Shake Mistakes

As Fleming puts it: ‘Many people are able to consume enough protein from their overall diet that a specific powder may not be required. If you're familiar with tracking on apps like MyFitnessPal and can see that you're consuming within the range of 1.5-2g of protein per kg of bodyweight each day – so for example, if you weigh 80kg then this would be 120-160g – then it may not be essential to add a protein supplement to your routine.’

It's also worth considering your dietary requirements. ‘Are you lactose intolerant or experiencing discomfort from taking protein powders like whey or casein?’ asks Fleming. ‘If so, opting for a dairy-free or plant-based alternative is best. Options like pea, soy and hemp are great for those with lactose intolerance and will reduce the likelihood of cramps, pains or IBS symptoms.’

Consider also whether or not you need a protein powder to provide your diet with more calories, or if you solely need it for protein content. ‘Some powders are higher in calories and more suitable for ‘hard gainers’ or individuals with a higher energy expenditure,’ says Fleming. ‘For example, if you're a lean individual who burns a lot of calories but insists on building muscle, then a higher-calorie powder is likely the one for you.

‘Likewise, if you're just trying to top up your protein or are going for body recomposition (reduce fat & increase muscle simultaneously), then just a standard protein powder will be fine as you will want to eat the majority of your calories from your diet, since this will assist in keeping you satiated.’

According to Fleming, protein powder should be broken down into the following four categories:

Also known as mass gainers or muscle gainers, ‘these powders are comprised of protein with added carbs and fats to increase your calories', says Fleming. 'If you struggle to consume enough calories each day then a powder like this will assist in increasing your bodyweight and muscle stores.'

‘Examples of these powders are whey, casein and those labelled as "diet" options,' he continues. 'They are mostly comprised of protein with very little added carbs or fats, meaning you can consume around 30g of protein for under 150 calories, which is very low when compared to higher-calorie shakes which can be around 600 calories. Keep in mind that whey is best taken after training as it elicits muscle protein synthesis and will support muscle repairs. Casein, on the other hand, is a slower-absorbing powder and best taken pre-bed to help reduce total body protein breakdown, which occurs when we go long periods without eating, e.g. sleeping.'

These are similar to the muscle gainers mentioned before. 'These powders contain additional calories from carbs and fats to help you consume more energy,' says Fleming. 'The only main difference is that these shakes do not contain dairy and thus will have a slightly lower leucine content. For eliciting muscle protein synthesis, a dairy-based powder will likely be the best, but if you can't have dairy, then a shake from this section will be more than fine.'

If you're shopping in this category, look for pea, soy, hemp and those labelled as 'dairy-free' options, says Fleming. 'They are mostly comprised of protein, but as they originate from plants they will have slightly less protein and a little bit more carbohydrates,' he says. 'These shakes are not thought to be as effective in eliciting muscle protein synthetic because of their lower leucine content, but they are more advantageous if you are avoiding dairy. You could always combine this shake with a lactose-free milk to further increase the protein content.’

Once you’ve settled on a type of protein powder, it's important to head to a trustworthy retailer. ‘For the majority of people, a cost-effective protein powder from a reliable distributor like MyProtein or The Protein Works will be more than sufficient,’ says Fleming. ‘These sites offer a wide range and will cover the four main groups I mentioned before. Remember to opt for a dairy-free or plant-based alternative if you are avoiding dairy.’

If you’re an athlete who competes professionally, Fleming says to opt for supplements with a ‘Informed Sport’ label. ‘These are batch tested to ensure the ingredient list is accurate and to cover you if you're being tested for performance-enhancing drugs,’ he says.

As part of our Sports Nutrition Awards, we recruited a panel of over 200 fitness enthusiasts and industry experts and asked them to put a variety of protein powders to the test for four weeks. They provided in-depth feedback on each product's nutritional value, impact on exercise performance, ease of use, texture and, importantly, flavour.

Our winning protein powders have the Sports Nutrition Awards badge displayed proudly above their picture below. Those with the MH Lab Approved badge have also passed our rigorous tests. The remaining entries on our list have been carefully chosen by our editors.

Read more: Best Whey Protein Powder | Best Vegan Protein Powder | Best Casein Protein Powder | Best Protein Bars | Best Pre-workout

Consider this whey protein concentrate powder from Bulk as a standard or default pick. With a high protein content (22g per 30g serving) and just 114 calories, 2.2g of fat and less than 1.5g of sugar per serving, it's a suitable option for anyone looking to top up their protein content while still getting the majority of their calories from their normal diet.

It contains 5g of branched-chain amino acids (BCCA) per serving, which essentially help your body to recover, reduce soreness, support muscle growth and even limit fatigue.

This is a whey protein concentrate powder, which means that it's less processed than whey isolate or hydrolysed alternatives, but as a result is less filtered and has a lower protein content per weight (typically up to 80%) and therefore more carbohydrates and fat per serving. However, if you exercise a few times a week, it'll still provide comparable benefits for muscle growth and is generally much cheaper.

Bulk's Pure Whey Protein was highly rated by our team of testers at the Men's Health Lab, who described it as a 'good all-rounder' and praised the ratio of protein, carbs and fat. The choice of flavours also went down well, with more than 20 'tasty yet subtle' options to choose from including regulars like vanilla and chocolate, as well as more adventurous picks such as rocky road and pistachio ice cream.

This whey protein isolate powder from Protein Works falls firmly within the 'low-calorie dairy' category, registering just 0.1g of fat and 1.1g of carbs per 25g serving. If you're cutting or watching your calorie intake but still want to pack on lean body mass, this is an excellent option, packing a hefty 23g of protein per 25g scoop, all for a meagre 92 calories.

This is a whey isolate, which means that most of the fat and lactose has been removed during the processing. While this results in a higher protein content per weight – 92% in this case – and can be easier for people to digest due to the lower lactose content, it's generally more expensive than whey concentrate. In terms of muscle growth, the benefits are similar.

Protein Works' Diet Whey Protein Isolate 90 is available in 10 flavours (including unflavoured), is made from 'ultra premium grass-fed whey protein' and contains 0.6g of sugar per serving.

This hydrolysed whey protein powder from Optimum Nutrition delivers 30g of fast absorbing protein per serving as well as 9.5g of naturally occurring and added BCAAs. Again, this is a low-calorie, milk-based protein powder, but due to the way it's processed contains no lactose – great for those with lactose allergies.

This is a hydrolysed whey protein powder – the most processed of the three types of whey. It is essentially whey isolate that has undergone an extra pre-digesting process that removes all excess fat or lactose. This is said to make the protein quicker to absorb.

Like whey protein isolate, the additional processing means that hydrolysed whey is fairly expensive. It's marketed to athletes who train frequently because of its supposed quick absorbing properties. If you're training a few times a week, you could save yourself the money and opt for a whey isolate or concentrate.

The Platinum Hydrowhey from Optimum Nutrition comes in three flavour options – milk chocolate, super strawberry, and vanilla bean.

Casein protein powder, such as this from Bulk, is similar to whey protein as it's also derived from milk. Where it differs is that casein has a much slower rate of digestion. This means that the protein absorbs slower into your body and therefore gradually supplies your cells with protein over an extended period. This makes it a great supplement to take before bed as it helps, as Fleming explains, to reduce total body protein breakdown as we sleep.

Bulk's Micellar Casein Protein Power contains a healthy 25g of protein per 30g serving and is low in carbohydrates and fat. It's available to buy in four flavours, including an unflavoured option.

Mass (or weight) gainers such as this from Myprotein have a high carbohydrate and fat content, which means they're best suited to those on a calorie surplus or anyone that struggles to consume enough calories in a day.

Don't mistake a weight gainer as being a more effective 'muscle gainer' compared to low calorie supplements. The additional carbohydrate, calorie and fat content will, as the name suggests, help you to gain weight, but not necessarily more muscle mass.

This weight gainer contains 30g of protein per 100g, while packing a hefty 50g of carbohydrates and 6.2g of fat. It also comes in five flavours, including an unflavoured option.

Moving on to the plant-based protein powders, this Vegan Wondershake from Protein Works is made from pea, soy, pumpkin seed and brown price protein. Packing 21g of protein per serving for just 89 calories and less than 1g of sugar and fat, this powder fits into the low-calorie dairy0free category, making it a great go-to pick for vegans looking to build muscle when training.

The Protein Works was named 'Best for Smoothies' in our round-up of the best vegan protein powders by our testers at the Men's Health Lab. Our experts praised its fine texture for making shakes and smoothies as well as the ample choice of 14 flavours.

This high-calorie protein powder is similar to the whey-based weight gainer listed above, but is instead derived from a blend of soy, brown rice and pea protein, meaning it's suitable for vegans. Containing 460 calories per 125g serving, as well as 77g of carbohydrates and 3.4g of fat, this one's for anyone looking to consume more energy.

Protein Works' Vegan Mass Gainer comes in five flavour options, all of which contain the tri-protein blend perviously mentioned. If you're looking for something with even more calories, try the Vegan Mass Gainer Extreme, which packs a huge 740 calories and 50g of protein per serving.

Another plant-based protein powder, this high-protein, lean supplement from PhD Nutrition made it into our 2022 Sport's Nutrition Awards – tried and tested by our experts and named the 'Best Low Calorie' option. Each 97-calorie serving contains 21g of protein with just 1.3g of carbs and less than 1g of fat, making it a great option for supporting muscle growth without adding mass.

The flavour we've chosen is salted caramel, but it also comes in two other options: Eton mess and chocolate cookie. Despite the sweet flavours, this protein powder contains less than 1g of sugar per serving.

Geared specifically towards athletes, each batch of this protein powder from Bulk is lab tested for banned substances and accredited under the independent Informed Sport quality assurance programme for sports nutrition products. If you're someone who competes and is subject to drug testing, opt for a product with this label.

Bulk's Informed Whey Protein contains 24g of whey isolate protein per 30g serving and is packed with 3g of leucine and 3g of glutamine peptides. It's also low in calories, carbs and fat, making a solid option as a lean source of protein.

Beef protein powder might sound a bit odd, but it's a great whey alternative for anyone who's lactose intolerant or following a paelo diet. The main advantage of beef protein powder is that it has a super high protein content by weight (29g per 30g serving in this case) and contains zero carbohydrates and just 0.5g of fat.

It's worth noting though that because of its high purity, Bulk advises that anyone who buys their unflavoured beef protein powder should mix it with something flavoured due to its 'unpleasant' taste. Failing that, choose one of Bulk's other flavour options: chocolate peanut, chocolate and banana fudge.

This is one of the most commonly asked questions about protein powder. Fleming stresses the importance of having a consistent daily intake of protein. 'Before relying solely on a supplement, try to ensure you're consuming 1.5-2g per kg of bodyweight regularly,' he says. 'This is going to help you much more than just consuming one shake a day, for example.'

From there you can decide how much to consume. 'If you're slightly under this then a protein powder will be a perfect addition to help,' he adds.

'Most powders will come with a scoop providing around 20-30g of protein. For smaller individuals, one scoop with water or milk will be more than sufficient. For larger individuals, 1-2 scoops with water or milk will do fine. Remember that you can lean on milk such as semi-skimmed or soya (plant-based) to help add additional protein to your shake, if it's necessary.'

Read more: This is How Much Protein You Need to Build Muscle

This can depend on the type of protein you're taking, but most, like whey, soy, pea and hemp 'will be best taken after training to elicit muscle protein synthesis', says Fleming. 'But that doesn't mean you have to rush to get them in.'

There's no need for a mad rush, essentially. 'You can finish training, have a shower, then create your shake, if you prefer. In fact, if you wanted to sip your protein shake during training, this will be equally as beneficial in starting the recovery process as the amino acids will already be in your system.' Whatever works for you.

Where you should be more particular about timings is with slower absorbing protein powders, such as casein, which are 'best taken before going a long period without eating as these assist more with reducing the amount of total body protein breakdown', says Fleming. 'This may be useful if optimising the amount of muscle you're carrying around is the priority.'

Read more: When Should I Drink Protein Shakes?

Luke is Men's Health UK's senior ecommerce writer, specialising in reviewing the latest health and fitness products. Luke interviews some of the world's most knowledgeable experts across menswear, grooming, fitness equipment and nutrition to help readers make smart decisions when shopping online. He has an MA in Magazine Journalism and has worked as a journalist for titles like The Recommended, Outdoor Swimmer magazine and B2B publications. When he's not compiling round-ups of the best expert-verified products, Luke can be found training for running events, playing squash or swimming at one of London's lidos.

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