The 7 Best Protein Powders for Men to Buy in 2018

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Whether you're trying to reach a new personal record in your workout, looking to gain muscle, or wanting to drop a few pounds, protein powder can help you reach your fitness and wellness goals. The benefits of protein include aiding in muscle recovery and also keeping you full post-workout. There are an endless array of protein powders on the market, but when choosing your ideal blend, it is best to keep budget, dietary restrictions, and your goals in mind.

If you want something affordable, whey protein is the most popular option and it comes in a ton of different flavors like chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and even birthday cake. Looking for a vegan option? You can try a concoction that gets its protein from vegetables, nuts, or legumes and therefore has zero dairy content. And if weight loss is your main objective, try a powder with casein—a type of protein that comes mainly from cow's milk—to keep you satisfied until your next meal and prevent you from snacking. Whey is also a great ingredient for weight loss because it can boost your metabolism and burn more calories in the long term.

Here, we've rounded up the best protein powders for men so you can find the perfect one for your specific goals.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: MuscleTech NitroTech Pure Whey Protein

nitro-tech-protein-powder — Courtesy of Amazon

For athletes looking to gain more muscle, more strength, and better performance, MuscleTech’s NitroTech Pure Whey Protein is your golden ticket. This formula is loved by bodybuilders and was created by researchers who wanted to develop a product that ensures superior muscle gain and more strength-boosting benefits than regular whey protein.

This protein powder contains 30 grams of protein per serving, mostly from whey protein isolate and whey peptides, 5g of glutamine and precursor, 6.8g of BCAA aminos, and a clinically studied 3-gram dose of HPLC-tested creatine monohydrate in each serving.

Furthermore, the cold-filtered, multi-phase filtration reduces fat, lactose and impurities without the use of heat, harsh acids or salt.

Take a look at other product reviews and shop for the best protein powders available online.

Best for Weight Loss: Legion Athletics Whey+ Protein Powder

This is the protein powder for anyone who wants an extremely clean protein. Legion's protein powder will also supplement your workout performance and help you get lean. It’s low-carb, low-calorie, sugar-free, non-GMO, lactose-free, and gluten-free, so you’ll get the benefits of adding muscle tone minus too many additives.

The Whey+ Protein Powder is naturally sweetened and flavored with whey isolate. The lactose-free powdered milk comes from high-quality milk from small dairy farms in Ireland. It’s also high in the amino acid leucine, which plays a key role in initiating protein synthesis.

You’ll get 25 grams of protein, zero sugar, zero fat, 100 calories and 3 grams of carbs.

Best for Muscle Gain: Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass

Serious Mass- Protein Powder — Courtesy of Amazon

Looking to add healthy muscle mass to your frame? Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass is a great supplement option, offering 50 grams of protein per serving, over 250 grams of carbohydrates per serving, 25 vitamins and minerals, as well as creatine and glutamine. You’ll get the energy boost you need to build muscle quickly, so you can get to your goal weight quicker.

And while you’ll get 1,250 calories per serving mixed with water and 1,640 calories when blended into low-fat milk, there is less than 5 grams of fat per serving and no added sugar, making it an ideal healthy weight- and muscle-gain formula.

Best Whey: Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Whey

Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard is known for offering solely whey protein isolates, which are thought to be the purest form of whey protein. Per serving, you can expect 24 grams of 100 percent whey protein that is hydrolyzed, meaning it is already broken down into smaller pieces called peptides. This makes for faster digestion.

The powder also has 5.5 grams of BCAAs, 4 grams of glutamine and precursors for optimum muscle repair and growth, and just 120 calories, 1 gram of fat and 3 grams of carbohydrates.

Best for Over 50: Nutiva Hemp Protein Hi-Fiber

Age-related muscle loss is most common in those over age 55, so it's important to take measures to prevent this as soon as possible. Supplementation, along with eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly will help you to avoid muscle loss as you get older.

Nutiva’s Hi-Fiber Hemp Protein is a great supplement option, as it provides 11 grams of raw organic hemp protein per serving, along with 12 grams of fiber. The hemp provides all nine essential amino acids and essential fatty acids and is a great option for anyone with food allergies. It's also ideal for anyone looking to steer clear of dairy.

The addition of fiber helps fight heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels. Fiber is also great for lowering the risk of certain types of cancers and preventing constipation.

Looking for more supplements to improve your health? Read reviews and learn more about the best vitamin D supplements.

Best Vegan: Naked Nutrition Pea Protein Isolate

For vegans and anyone who prefers a minimalist approach to ingredients, Naked Nutrition is for you. The brand’s pea protein isolate features just one ingredient: 100% yellow-pea protein. There are zero additives, so you won’t have to worry about sneaky artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors. It’s also GMO-free, soy-free, and gluten-free.

The dairy-free protein powder is made from raw yellow peas that are grown on farms based in the United States and Canada. Per serving, you’ll get 27 grams of protein and 5.7 grams of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) for muscle growth. At the same time, this vegan protein powder contains only 120 calories, 2 grams of carbs and 2 grams of sugar per serving.

Need some more help finding what you're looking for? Read through our best vegan protein powders article.

Best Natural: Antler Farms 100% Grass Fed New Zealand Whey Protein

If you want a protein powder with a simple and short ingredients list, this 100% natural whey protein powder from Antler Farms is a great option. It features a blend of whey protein isolate from grass-fed cows, plus it's free of GMOs, antibiotics, hormones, fillers, preservatives, dyes, soy, gluten, artificial sweeteners and other questionable ingredients. This mixture also uses organic vanilla and organic stevia leaf extract so you get a fresh vanilla flavor that doesn't taste artificial.

The use of cold processing preserves the biological nature of protein and removes lactose and fat, giving you more protein per serving than other options on the market (26 grams of protein to be precise).

Check out our other reviews of the best organic protein powders available on the market today.