Now Sports Pea Protein Review

Now Sports Pea protein powder is a supplement derived from yellow peas. For athletes and fitness fanatics who are looking for an alternative to animal-based protein supplementation, it’s a fantastic alternative for post-workout nutrition. Unlike whey protein or plant-based powders made from soy, pea protein offers a hypo-allergenic choice for those who are sensitive to these common ingredients.

Now Sports is a family-owned nutritional supplementation company, focused primarily on offering quality products. For over 50 years, Now Sports has provided superior, sustainably-sourced, natural ingredients to athletes and health-conscious clients. Adding Pea Protein powder to their range, allows them to offer a high-quality protein to support a healthy lifestyle.

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What Is Now Sports Pea Protein?

Pea protein powder, or more precisely, pea protein isolate, is obtained by grinding yellow peas into a fine powder. It contains all nine essential amino acids required by your body, except for methionine, which is present in sub-optimal quantities (1).

Now Sports pure, unflavored pea protein powder contains only non-GMO pea protein with no added sugar or other ingredients. The Vanilla Toffee and Creamy Chocolate pea protein powders have added Xylitol, cocoa powder, natural flavors, sea salt, and stevia for extra flavor. Xanthan gum is also included for improved texture.

Pea protein is an excellent source of bio-available amino acids which your body cannot manufacture itself. To compensate for the low methionine content, including rice, eggs, fish, beef, and poultry in your diet is advised.

It is also an awesome source of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), particularly arginine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These promote healthy cardiovascular systems and muscle growth (2). When compared against whey protein, pea protein was judged to be as effective if not more effective in promoting larger muscle mass and muscle thickness. This translated into increased strength and athletic ability.

These protein powders are also a rich source of iron, with servings containing between 5mg and 7mg. You can increase its absorption by including vitamin C-rich foods or supplements (3). Iron is vital to health and it’s one of the most prevalent deficiencies, especially amongst women, in modern society.

A low iron level in the body produces a host of negative outcomes including:

• Weakness

• Extreme fatigue

• Chest pain, fast heartbeat, or shortness of breath

• Headache, dizziness, or lightheadedness

• Cold hands and feet

• Inflammation

• Brittle hair and nails

By abstaining from animal products, vegans and vegetarians are more prone to iron deficiencies. The use of pea protein can make a huge difference in improving their iron status.

Each container has 10 servings of 33g per scoop. At 120 calories per serving, it is a great way to get your post-workout nutrition without additional weight gain. There is no cholesterol in each serving and only 2g of fat. This makes the pea protein powder extremely heart-friendly. With the association of cholesterol with heart disease widely known, the use of a protein powder with low or no cholesterol is a positive step for those with high-risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Along with your 24g of protein, you’ll get 1g of carbohydrate, 320mg of sodium, 43mg of calcium, 8mg of iron, and 83mg of potassium in the non-flavored protein powder.

The flavored powder servings offer 160 calories each and 2.5g of total fat. There’s double the sodium at 570mg and 9g of carbohydrate. The total sugar included is 2g with 3g of Xylitol for flavor and 322mg of potassium. The calcium and iron quantities are essentially the same as in pure protein powder.

The typical amino acid profile of all the protein powders contains all the essential and non-essential amino acids needed to maintain perfect health.

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How It Works

The use of protein powders has been around for a long time. They have primarily been milk- and egg-based products used by bodybuilders and other professional athletes looking for improvements in muscle size and strength.

With the advent of pea and soy, plant-based protein powders, vegan and vegetarian athletes, as well as those with health concerns related to increased animal protein consumption, can enjoy equivalent muscle building and performance benefits of protein supplementation.

The timing of your protein intake is critical if you are to maximize the use of protein powders. The post-workout time window is small and using an easy-to-mix protein powder makes the process much easier.

Here is how Now Sports pea protein works to help you fulfil your goals.

Pea protein provides a complete protein source with all the essential amino acids needed for muscle growth. With BCAAs included in the mix, muscle growth is improved and strength gains have been recorded by those who supplement regularly after training (9).

The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) consist of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These amino acids cannot be created by your body and must be obtained from the food you eat. By supplementing with protein powders high in BCAAs, studies show athletes increase their muscle mass, decrease muscle fatigue, and can recover more quickly as they experience less muscle soreness.

With arginine for heart health and the promotion of blood flow throughout the body, pea protein is a healthy choice for athletes.

If you are trying to lose weight, pea protein is a great source as research has found it to be the best type of protein powder to suppress appetite (6). This is obviously extremely advantageous when it comes to losing weight as reducing appetite makes maintaining a calorie deficit far easier. It is vital though for you to ensure that your daily minimum nutrient requirements are met. As any benefits gained from losing weight may be offset by the negative health consequences of inadequate nutrition.

Chronic inflammation contributes to many problems and negative health outcomes. Pea protein is proven to help reduce inflammation markers and provide immunomodulatory and neuroprotective effects (10). As many chronic medical conditions are exacerbated by underlying inflammation, your food intake must be aligned with your medical status and goals.

With the effects of cholesterol on heart health being a well-known problem associated with animal-sourced protein, pea protein offers increased benefits to those who use it as a substitute (11).

With cardiovascular disease being a leading cause of death worldwide, the use of pea protein and other plant-based proteins low in cholesterol for supplementation is a step in the right direction. Now Sports Pea Protein has zero cholesterol, which makes it an obvious choice for those concerned about their cardiovascular health.

Pea protein, along with other plant-based protein powders, is easily digestible, making them easy on the stomach. With its low-fat content and complete amino acid structure, pea protein is preferable to animal-based protein powders for health, ethical and environmental reasons (5).

With no fiber, the protein powder is easily absorbed without irritating the gut. The lack of glucose and lactose is also calming for the gut due to the absence of bloating or gas. By adding protein powder to smoothies and puddings, you can enjoy your added protein without negative consequences.

Pea protein is high in bio-available iron, which is an essential nutrient for good health. With a high proportion of individuals in the United States suffering from low iron levels, this is a particularly desirable quality, especially in type 2 diabetics who are particularly at risk (8).

With pea protein offering highly bioavailable iron, levels of iron in the blood are elevated after a period of pea protein supplementation.

Ingredients

Now Sports Pea Protein Powder and Pea Protein Shakes contain the following ingredients:

• Yellow Pea Protein Isolate – the primary source of protein

• Cocoa Powder - for added flavor

• Natural Flavors

• Xylitol – for added sweetness without the negative effects of cane sugar

• Sea Salt – adds flavor and trace minerals

• Organic Stevia Leaf Extract – a natural sweetener

• Xanthan Gum – improves the consistency and texture

• Stevia Leaf Extract (Rebaudioside A)

Every effort has been made to ensure the ingredients are completely natural, ethically grown, and harvested and provide the highest quality available.

How To Take

While many athletes will mix their pea protein powder with water only, there are other options available if you wish to be a little more adventurous.

A single serving is one scoop or 33g. This can be added to a smoothie and mixed with fruit juice and water as a post-workout drink.

Should you wish to use it to maximize your daily protein intake, then you can also add it to oatmeal, wheat porridge, or even sprinkled over brown rice cereal.

And if you’re looking for a protein-packed treat, then you can bake with it by adding it to brownies or muffins.

The best time to take your protein shale is within half an hour of completing your workout, but you can also add it to your morning breakfast routine or as an extra, mid-morning, or afternoon meal.

Why This Product Should Be Trusted

Now Sports has been around for over 50 years and have been trusted by athletes and other individuals for their high-quality health supplements.

Pea protein is a tried and tested supplement which has been acknowledged worldwide and won numerous awards for quality and effectiveness.

A great deal of time and effort goes into sourcing the raw ingredients for Now Sports’ products. They are especially concerned that only non-GMO and organic ingredients are used in their formulations. Independent inspections are carried out on their suppliers to ensure they conform to the company’s stringent standards,

The bioavailability of nutrients is high on the list of essential qualities at Now Sports. The company goes to great lengths to ensure the products they produce can meet the standards and requirements to be absorbed and utilized effectively by your body.

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