When we think of protein supplementation, we mainly think of whey protein or casein protein. However, there are many other types of protein powders, such as egg protein. Egg protein has a wide array of benefits for the bodybuilder and general health enthusiast.

Egg protein is derived from egg whites, which means it is fat-free and high in protein. The egg yolk has most of the fat and cholesterol, which is why it isn’t used. The yolk does have benefits like being loaded with vitamins, but for physique purposes, it may not be your best bet. Egg protein is considered the most perfect source of protein because it is complete in essential amino acids, branch chain amino acids and glutamic acid. Biological value, or BV, is the measure of the efficiency of the protein and how it can be absorbed and used by the body. The higher the number, the higher the efficiency. Egg protein sets the standard with a BV of 100 and is assumed to be the most readily utilized protein.

If you consume plenty of eggs in your diet, you may not need egg protein. However, egg protein makes a good alternative for those people who are lactose intolerant or have allergies to milk or whey protein. In addition, it may be good for people who don’t have time to cook eggs. You would have to cook around six or seven egg whites to get the same benefit of one scoop of egg protein. Egg protein is very convenient for this purpose. It can also save you money from buying all those eggs.

However, it’s always better to have natural eggs in your daily diet than a supplement if you had to choose. The best would be a mixture of both due to the health and convenience factor. Egg protein has a moderate absorption rate. While whey protein has the fastest absorption rate and casein has the slowest, egg protein is right in the middle in terms of how fast your body uses it. It typically takes around 1.5 to 3 hours for your body to utilize the protein. If you want to get the full benefits of protein, mix whey, casein and egg protein together to really get the diversity in your amino acid profile.