Best Protein Powder for Skinny Fat

Adding muscle mass is the best way to reduce and manage skinny fat (1), which requires proper protein and nutrients, no less. Just as proper protein and nutrients help maintain existing genetic muscle tissue and any added muscle mass to keep any existing skinny fat minimized. Protein powder is a convenient and popular choice for many people. What is the best protein powder for skinny fat?

The debate between animal protein and vegetable protein rages on. Is whey protein powder better than soy or pea protein powder? What other protein powders are available?

Soy Protein Powder, Pea Protein Powder, or Whey Protein Powder? – Best Protein Powder for Skinny Fat

Whey protein powder, soy protein powder, and pea protein powder are the most common options out there. Which is best? Pro-animal-protein people will point to the science (2, 3, 4) that shows that animal protein, like whey, is more readily absorbed by the human body. Pro-vegetable-protein people will quickly counter with how the science is quite limited and more research (5, 6) is required. They will also remind everyone that the science (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 4) is quite clear that plants/quality whole plant food is healthier for the human body and planet overall.

Pro-animal-protein people then emphasize how vegetable proteins are incomplete and need to be combined. Pro-vegetable-protein people will point to soy protein (13, 14, 15, 19), pea protein (16, 17, 18), quinoa protein (19, 20, 21), and hemp protein (22, 23, 24, 19), no less, as complete vegetable proteins — all of which can be purchased as a powder — but all are admittedly less robust than most animal protein. Although growing scientific research indicates that a proper variety of vegetable protein throughout the day rivals (25, 26, 3, 4) animal protein, including building and maintaining muscle.

Best Protein Powder to Fix Skinny Fat

Whey protein, particularly whole concentrate (27, 28, 29), is considered the animal protein powder gold standard (30, 31, 18) — especially when it comes to adding muscle mass. However, the more skinny fat you are experiencing, the more sensitive you are to insulin resistance (32) and thus the more likely you will have to avoid whey protein hydrolysate (27) (hydrolyzed whey, pre-digested) as it is known to cause a 28–43% greater spike in insulin levels (which can exacerbate insulin resistance). Whey protein isolate (27) offers more protein but is processed and less healthy.

Other animal protein powder options include egg white, casein, and beef protein isolate.

Whole pea protein (33, 35, 17) contains less protein but a broader spectrum of nutrients compared to pea protein isolate (34, 33, 17), which has more total protein but is also more processed (the more processed the food, the less healthy it is). Likewise, whole soy protein (35, 36, 15) offers more nutrients (but less protein) compared to soy protein isolate (36, 35, 15), which has more protein but is more processed and less healthy.

What protein powder works best for you depends on your unique genetic body, including how much skinny fat you are experiencing, along with how you choose to consume it relative to your personal needs. No matter if you choose an animal-based or veggie-based protein powder, quality matters to ensure optimal amino acid ratio and minimal contaminants, no less. 

How To Determine & Consume Protein Powder

How do you know which protein powder is best for you to help you reduce your skinny fat? Genetics (37, 38, 39, 40) matter. As does the health of your gut flora/good bacteria (41, 42, 43). Moreover, allergies/allergens (44, 45, 46) must be considered, be it milk protein allergy (47, 48, 49) or lactose intolerance (48, 49, 47), soy protein intolerance (50, 51, 52), pea protein intolerance (53, 54, 55), or the like. It will require trial and error to figure out which protein powder is best for your unique body. Once you find a protein powder that your body assimilates without any issues, then turn your focus to how you consume the protein powder. 

Smoothies are popular as you can choose quality, clean/organic whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, nut/seed butters, yogurt, milk, spirulina, chlorella, and the like along with quality good fat (cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, hemp oil, etc.) and quality protein powder to make a well-balanced nutritional concoction that tastes great and digests easily. As well, you can add protein powder to no less than homemade soups/stews, casseroles, bread, pancakes/waffles, baked goods such as muffins, cakes, and pies, etc.  

Exercises to Build Muscle Mass and Reduce Skinny Fat

Of course, adding muscle mass requires proper resistance exercise (56, 57, 58). Weightlifting is the gold standard. Here are 40 optimal resistance exercises with images (58). If you do not have access to a gym, then calisthenics (56), yoga (56), Pilates (56), and/or isometrics (56) can be done at home — there are plenty of professional videos on YouTube or the like — which specific exercises depends on where you are experiencing skinny fat on your body.

Choose the proper protein powder along with a balanced, healthy, whole food diet (59) for your unique body to support building muscle mass to help reduce skinny fat. Focus on a proper lifestyle (60), including proper amounts of quality sleep while keeping stress to a minimum, no less. If you are unsure what a healthy diet, exercise, and lifestyle are, check out the Scientific Health Quizzes – Scientific Diet Quiz, Scientific Exercise Quiz, Scientific Lifestyle Quiz, Scientific Metabolism Quiz, and Scientific Body Type Quiz (body composition including skinny fat). Free options are available.

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