Protein Powder: Healthy or Just Expensive Milk Dust?

By Dan Thorpe – Thorpe Performance

Alright, let’s cut through the noise.

You’ve seen the over hyped manufacturing. You’ve seen the insta's and TikToks. You’ve probably wondered:

“Dan, is protein powder even good for me? Isn’t it just a processed chemical cocktail? Do I need it for fat loss, strength, health, or can I just eat like a normal person?”

Let’s break this down once and for all – based on science and real coaching experience at Thorpe Performance, and a healthy dose of common sense.

So, Is Protein Powder Actually Good for You?

Short answer: yes.

Longer answer: yes, but it’s not a magic potion. It’s just a very convenient, efficient,

glorified food source.

And yes you can eat like a "normal" person, whatever that is, but is normal what you are after, is your normal helping you change, is it keeping where you are, is YOUR normal taking you further from health or your goals or is your normal just a perception.....woah deep i know, lets crack on.

Protein powder is what happens when clever humans take the best part of milk or plants, strip out the fluff, dry it into dust, and make it taste like dessert (sometimes).

science is good.

“It’s not a miracle. It’s just a easy way to hit your daily needs without chewing a kilo of chicken breast.”

And honestly – who’s got time to meal prep 4 times a day when you've got to run the kids about and wax your b..... whatever we have stuff to do..

But Dan… It’s Processed. That’s Bad, Right?

Lets calm down on the processing hate shall we?

Look, "processed" doesn’t mean evil. there's no super villain sitting there processing foods to make them worse.

Oats are processed. Olive oil is processed. Baby food is processed!. So is cheese.

that hole in your face? that's the start of a food processor.

What matters is the type of processing and what’s added. A good protein powder is:

• Clean

• Safe

• Third-party tested

• Lower in sugar than most “healthy” granola bars

• And less processed than that takeaway you crammed in your mush last weekend.

So yes, it’s processed. But So is your almond milk. Calm down, Kazza.

Is It Healthy?

When you choose the right brand, hell yes it’s healthy.

✅ Helps you build muscle

✅ Keeps you full (very useful if your snacks have hands of their own)

✅ Supports recovery and hormones

✅ Safe in pregnancy

✅ Way better than skipping meals or grabbing vending machine flapjacks

I’ll take a quality scoop of protein over a sad limp chicken salad with zero carbs and a personality crisis, any day of the week.

Why Is Protein So Important?

Let me put it bluntly: protein is the real MVP. its not fancy or glorified, its like your job, it kind of just facilitates your ability to do everything else, you might wish you didn't have to do it, but if you stopped, so does everything else, nothing works without it and the right amount makes things "Whey" easier.

Here’s what it does:

• Builds and protects your lean muscle (yes, even during fat loss)

• Helps you recover so you’re not walking like you picked up sandpaper instead of andrex again.

• Subdues the hunger monkey so your inner chimp doesn't break out it's cage.

• Supports your immune system and hormones (especially during pregnancy)

• Makes you feel like you’re actually doing something right

  
  

At Thorpe Performance, we don’t guess this part – we calculate it, adjust it, and help you nail it without going full fish and a rice cake "bodybuilder" mode.

How Much Protein Do You Actually Need?

Let’s use the holy grail aka SCIENCE (the nerds who get people in shape with PhDs) and real-world coaching from yours truly:

Goal	Protein per kg of bodyweight
Fat Loss / Muscle Gain	2.0–2.2g/kg
Maintenance / General Health	1.6–2.0g/kg
Endurance Training	1.6–1.8g/kg
Pregnancy	1.8–2.0g/kg

So if you’re 70kg and want to get leaner and stronger, aim for ~140g/day.

That’s:

• 2 chicken breasts

• A tub of Greek yogurt........PS this stuff is made by the gods to make your life easier!

• 3 eggs

• A scoop of protein

  
  

And suddenly… you’re winning.

Whey vs. Plant-Based vs. Other Mad Stuff

🥛 Whey Protein

• Comes from milk

• Fast-digesting, high in leucine

• Great post-workout

• Basically the Beyoncé of protein powders

  
  

🌱 Plant-Based Protein

• Great if you’re dairy-free

• Needs to be a blend (like pea + rice) to give you all the amino acids

• Some taste like angels, some taste like soil, dried and mixed with broccoli and cheese, watered-down left to mold then dried again.– choose wisely

  
  

🧀 Casein Protein

• Slower digesting

• Good before bed or long periods without food

• Basically like a slow cooker for your muscles

  
  

Dan’s Recommended Brands (AKA the Ones That Won’t Taste Like Sandpaper)

Whey:

• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard – classic, reliable, no drama

• SF Nutrition – clean, tasty, good ethics

• WheyBox – fun flavours, solid macros

• MyProtein Clear Whey – like squash with gains

  
  

Plant-Based:

• Form Nutrition – smooth, good flavours, no nonsense

• VivoLife – clean AF, tested, a bit premium

• Nuzest – simple ingredients, solid choice

  
  

Avoid powders that look like they were made in a garage. If it costs £9.99 for 5kg and smells like wet chalk… squint your eyes and move on.

So… Do You Need Protein Powder?

No – but it helps. A lot.

It’s not essential, but it’s:

• Convenient

• Portable

• Quick

• Consistent

• Easier on your digestive system than trying to eat your bodyweight in chicken

  
  

If your goal is:

• Fat loss

• Muscle gain

• Strength

• Pregnancy health

• Or just not constantly snacking on biscuits and crying at episodes of Ben Fogle…

  
  

…then protein powder can help you get results without complicating your life.

Final Word

At Thorpe Performance, we care about what works in real life.

Protein powder isn’t some Instagram nonsense – it’s a legit, science-backed tool to help you:

✅ Hit your targets

✅ Recover faster

✅ Stay leaner and stronger

✅ And not lose your mind trying to hit 150g of protein from tuna and despair

Got questions? Want help choosing a brand or nailing your numbers?

Send me a message and I’ll sort you out faster than you can say

“why was the body builder staring at the tub of protein?.