Killing Protein Farts – How to prevent gas from protein shakes
You’re 3 squats in to a set. You’re stomach starts twinging, reacting to your core being tight, pushing against what feels like rolling bubbles in your gut. The guy or girl behind you is close enough to hear the drama that is about to unfold. On the final rep, you can’t hold it.
The blast travels far, the noise deafeningly awkward. You either stand proud and pray it goes unnoticed, or run to the darkest corner of the gym dragging any methane along behind you like a floaty tail.
PROTEIN FARTS
Protein is your key to muscle. And, we’re here to tell you that not all protein is created equal. We’ve been using, or some of us have, vegan protein for a while. Generally most people will find one of the biggest factors of bloating (and protein farts) from protein is lactose…and guess what contains no lactose…
Now, don’t go crazy here, we’re not saying one protein is better than another. Don’t rip your little vest off just yet.
LOL VEGAN PROTEIN?!
When it comes to protein sources, so many lifters and athletes will turn their nose up at vegan protein. “LOL”, might be a common response. But, for those looking to dial in their protein consumption and align it even more with their training goals and ass leak prevention, Vegan protein shouldn’t be ignored.
Don’t worry, we’re not about to tell you to meat is murder, or how being vegan is ‘the only way maaaaaan’ either (seriously, the author just demolished a chicken and mozzarella sandwich).
We also recognize that whey protein is absolutely key, and won’t ever be replaced by vegan protein.
When Vegan Protein Makes Sense…
Vegan protein isn’t just good for reducing gas and protein bloat, it has some other benefits and times where it could be useful for you.
- Preventing excess fat gain
Simply put, vegan proteins are derived from plants. Whey is derived from milk. This means, that most whey protein will contain saturated fats and have a higher calorie content than plant based alternatives.
Plant based or vegan proteins may lead to further metabolic benefits, due to the fact that our bodies require more energy to break down plant proteins than a standard whey protein.
- Minimising bloat and preventing gas from protein shakes
Another piece of simple science, but whey protein contains lactose due to the fact it is derived from dairy. It’s this that is the normal reason for people to experience bloating from protein, and can happen to anyone, even if you don’t have any issues with lactose digestion. Plant proteins have a far less inflammatory effect on the stomach. [1]
Vegan proteins can be a great way to cut the gas you’re experiencing. Especially if you’ve tried a another form of whey and its still not curbed it.
- Similar Gains to Whey
A study on pea protein found that males who supplemented twice per day, saw a 20% increase in the thickness of their bicep muscles. This study, showed that those on a placebo only saw an 8% increase. This growth was surprisingly nearly the same as whey protein.
Similarly brown rice protein supplementation led to an increase in bicep size of 12% over an 8 week period. The subjects here supplemented 3 times per week after weight training. [2]
Recommended Vegan Protein – National Bodybuilding Co. Full Prep
Other Types of Protein
The supplement industry is booming with choice, and it’s set to continue growing. With as much as $32 billion predicted to be spent on supplements in 2021. This boom has led to the rapid growth and development of new products, some which are gimmicky, some which are useless and some which can actually give you some sort of value.
You cannot dispute whey protein has bigger amino acid profile, and contributes to recovery due to the fact it has quicker bio availability. BUT, for combating protein bloating and slowing down on the tracksuit tearing protein farts a change of protein is required.
Whey Isolate to Combat Bloating
So, if you’re not sold on a plant protein, then you could always try whey isolate. This does still contain lactose, however is more refined and so should help reduce the gas your experiencing from your protein shakes.
Again, it’s the lactose that is likely the issue. But give whey isolate a try if you’re wanting to keep your protein source as animal based and not already tried it.
Recommended Transparent Labs Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate
- Overduin J, Guérin-Deremaux L, Wils D, Lambers TT. NUTRALYS(®) pea protein: characterization of in vitro gastric digestion and in vivo gastrointestinal peptide responses relevant to satiety. Food Nutr Res. 2015;59:25622. Published 2015 Apr 13. doi:10.3402/fnr.v59.25622
- Babault N, Païzis C, Deley G, et al. Pea proteins oral supplementation promotes muscle thickness gains during resistance training: a double-blind, randomized, Placebo-controlled clinical trial vs. Whey protein. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2015;12(1):3. Published 2015 Jan 21. doi:10.1186/s12970-014-0064-5
- Kalman DS. Amino Acid Composition of an Organic Brown Rice Protein Concentrate and Isolate Compared to Soy and Whey Concentrates and Isolates. Foods. 2014;3(3):394-402. Published 2014 Jun 30. doi:10.3390/foods3030394
