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Best protein powders for muscle gain in 2024
This content should not be considered medical advice. The information provided is not meant to diagnose or treat any health conditions. Consult with your doctor before beginning a new exercise routine or taking any new supplements.
Whether you’re bulking up in the gym, training for a race, dealing with a low appetite or trying to add more balance to your meals, protein powder can help. While most experts agree that getting the majority of your nutrition from food is best, supplements like protein powder can help you get enough protein to meet your needs and goals in a more convenient and efficient way. Whether you mix it with water in a shaker cup, blend it into a smoothie or add a scoop to cookies or bread, using the right protein powder can give you a boost of this macronutrient essential to building muscle.
So, while protein and muscle growth go hand in hand, how much do you actually need? To maximize muscle gains after strength training, you should be aiming for 0.4-0.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight within 4-6 hours before and after your workouts. For someone who’s 150 pounds, this would mean eating 27 to 34 grams of protein both a few hours before you train and again after training. Getting that much protein from food alone can be difficult, especially if you’re fitting in a workout during a busy workday or just don’t have time to make and eat a full, protein-packed meal. Keep reading to learn which protein powder is the best for muscle building in 2024.
How we chose the best protein powders
Several factors helped us choose the best protein powder for muscle gain, ranging from taste to the nutritional makeup of each powder. We chose powders that taste good and have a good texture when mixed with liquids based on our own experience and combing through many user reviews. Protein powders with at least 20 grams of protein per serving and ones that have limited or no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners are also prioritized. The final, but arguably one of the most important factors in choosing the best protein powder is brand reputation and the availability of third-party testing to verify the purity and potency of the supplement.
Top protein powders for muscle gain
- Best overall: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein
- Best vegan: Vega Sport
- Best whey protein powder: XWerks Grow
- Best value: Now Whey Protein Isolate
- Best organic: Ora Natural Force Grass-Fed Whey
Best overall: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein
- 24 grams of protein per serving
- Includes a blend of whey protein isolate, whey protein concentrate and hydrolyzed whey protein
- Informed Choice Certified
About Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard’s 100% whey protein uses all three whey proteins (isolate, concentrate, and hydrolyzed protein) for maximum muscle growth and recovery. Each serving has two grams of leucine, an amino acid that some research has found can increase muscle growth when combined with strength training. With the majority of the whey coming from whey protein isolate, this protein powder may be easier for people with lactose intolerance to digest, but the addition of soy makes it a no-go for anyone with a soy allergy.
This affordable protein powder has 20 different flavors to choose from and is Informed Choice Certified, so you can be sure it’s free from any banned substances.
Why we like it
- A variety of flavors to choose from
- Affordable
- Includes three types of whey protein
What to consider
- Some flavors include sucralose and artificial flavors
- Not suitable for soy allergies
Best vegan protein powder: Vega Sport
- 30 grams of protein per serving
- Includes tart cherry for muscle recovery
- NSF Certified Sport
About Vega Sport
Vega Sport is a 100% vegan protein powder that has 30 grams of protein per serving from plants. It’s sweetened with stevia and includes no added sugars, artificial colors or flavors. The ingredient list also includes tart cherry to help aid with recovery, although we’re not sure exactly how much is added to each serving.
You can choose from vanilla, chocolate, mocha, berry or peanut butter flavors in this NSF-Certified for Sport protein powder.
Why we like it
- Includes a mix of pea, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed and alfalfa protein
- Free from banned substances and NSF-Certified for Sport
- No added sugars
What to consider
- Contains stevia, which may taste bitter to some people
- Expensive
Best whey protein powder: XWerks Grow
- 25 grams of protein per serving
- Protein is 100% whey isolate
- Whey is from New Zealand grass-fed and pasture-raised cows
About XWerks Grow
XWerks Grow protein powder has 25 grams of protein (23 in the peanut butter flavor), all from whey protein isolate. Using whey isolate instead of whey concentrate gives this powder less lactose and carbohydrates and more protein per gram used. In fact, one scoop of this powder has 25 grams of protein and only 1 gram of carbohydrate, making it a very low carbohydrate protein powder.
It’s naturally sweetened with stevia and includes no artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors. It’s also free from hormones, antibiotics and pesticides, as the whey comes from 100% New Zealand grass-fed cattle. We’ll have to take the manufacturer's word for it, though, since this powder offers no third-party certifications or verifications on purity, potency or absence of banned substances.
Why we like it
- Protein comes from easily absorbable whey isolate
- Soy and gluten-free
- No artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors
What to consider
- Only four flavors to choose from: chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter and strawberry
- No third-party certification or verification for purity, potency or absence of banned substances
Best value: Now Whey Protein Isolate
About Now Whey Protein Isolate
Now Foods Whey Protein Isolate is an unflavored protein powder that provides 25 grams of protein in every serving. The fact that this powder is unflavored means that it’s not ideal to drink just mixed with water, but it does mix well with a variety of foods and liquids without altering their flavors. It’s more useful mixed in smoothies, yogurt, oatmeal or with juices than just in a shaker with water.
If you like avoiding unnecessary or artificial ingredients, this protein powder has you covered. It has only two ingredients: whey protein isolate and sunflower lecithin to help the texture stay creamy when mixed with liquid. There are no artificial colors, sweeteners or other additives, and you can be sure it’s free from any banned substances as it’s Informed Choice Certified for Sport.
Why we like it
- A high-value product for a lower cost
- Informed Choice Certified for Sport
- Soy-free with no artificial sweeteners
What to consider
- Only comes in unflavored, so it may not taste well just mixed with water, but it easily mixes with a variety of other flavors
Best organic: Ora Natural Force Grass-Fed Whey
About Ora Natural Force Grass-Fed Whey
This organic protein powder comes from 100% whey concentrate for optimal muscle growth. The whey is sourced from pasture-raised grass-fed cows and is Certified Humane by American Humane. It’s naturally sweetened with monk fruit, and each batch is third-party tested for purity and potency.
The protein powder has 20 grams of protein per scoop, which may not be enough for some people to maximize muscle growth unless it’s taken with another protein source, such as milk, or more than one serving is used at once. While the flavor choices are limited, most customers love the flavor and that it’s not overly sweet like some powders can be.
Why we like it
- 100% organic whey from grass-fed, humanely treated cows
- Naturally sweetened with monk fruit
- Third-party lab tested for purity and potency
What to consider
- Only three flavor choices: unflavored, vanilla bean or cacao bean
- Only 20 grams of protein per serving (less than most powders)
How to choose a protein powder for muscle gain
There’s more than just grams of protein to think about when choosing the right protein powder to build muscle. Beyond how much protein the supplement includes, think about taste preferences, cost and your specific needs.
- Taste: Many protein powders come in a variety of flavors, but others have just a few or are unflavored. Unflavored protein powder is often a good choice if you like mixing it into foods as well as smoothies or juices since the protein powder won’t alter the flavor of the food or drink you’re mixing it with.
- Budget: The protein powders on our list range from $3.25 to $1.55 per serving, giving you a wide variety of powders that can fit into most budgets. Choose the powder that best fits your food and supplement budget and also meets your needs.
- Specific needs: While you’re likely using protein powder for muscle repair and growth, consider other factors that are important to you, such as the absence of soy or dairy, and the need for it to be certified free from banned substances or organic.
Methodology
To compile this list, our writers and editors reviewed top products on the market, compared specs and features and created a short list of the top protein powders. Then, we used product descriptions, reviews and user ratings to find the best protein powders for muscle gain for each category. Note that we do not test every product but base our lists on our research, user reviews and expert opinions.
FAQ
How much protein do I need daily to gain muscle?
Most research has found that eating approximately 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight is enough to support muscle growth while strength training. For a 150-pound person, this would be approximately 108 grams of protein per day.
Is whey protein best for muscle gain?
While all types of protein will support muscle growth, whey protein is highly absorbable and includes all nine essential amino acids that the body needs for muscle-building activities.
What are the potential side effects of taking whey protein?
Whey protein is safe for most people but should be avoided by anyone with a milk allergy. It could cause digestive upset in people with severe lactose intolerance, although most whey protein powders have low levels of lactose that can be tolerated by most people with lactose sensitivities.
References
Carbone, J. W., & Pasiakos, S. M. (2019). Dietary Protein and Muscle Mass: Translating Science to Application and Health Benefit. Nutrients, 11(5), 1136. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051136 Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6566799/
Oh, G. S., Lee, J. H., Byun, K., Kim, D. I., & Park, K. D. (2022). Effect of Intake of Leucine-Rich Protein Supplement in Parallel with Resistance Exercise on the Body Composition and Function of Healthy Adults. Nutrients, 14(21), 4501. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14214501 Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36364764/
Schoenfeld, B. J., & Aragon, A. A. (2018). Is There a Postworkout Anabolic Window of Opportunity for Nutrient Consumption? Clearing up Controversies. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy, 48(12), 911–914. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2018.0615 Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30702982/
