How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Endurance Athletes

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

This is a Certified Nutrition Coach’s guide on how to find the best protein powder for endurance athletes​.

Discover how to supplement your protein intake as an endurance athlete.

Last Updated
May 22, 2026

Author and Medical Reviewer

Written by Jack, CNC

Jack is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Nutrition Coach.

Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before making changes to your diet.

Protein Powder for Endurance Athletes

Is Protein Powder Good for Endurance Athletes?

Protein is just as important for endurance athletes as it is for weightlifters because it helps with exercise recovery, injury prevention, and even immune system health.

Plus, many endurance athletes do not consume nearly enough protein, which can have a serious negative impact on their performance and development.

If you do not get enough protein when training hard, your body will break down muscle for use as fuel, which will eventually make you slower.

As a reminder, building and maintaining muscle mass is beneficial for endurance sports for several reasons, including:

• Efficiency: Stronger muscles lead to more efficient technique.
• Power: Increased muscle mass can contribute to greater power output, enabling you to move faster and for longer.
• Injury prevention: Strong muscles provide better support and stability, decreasing the risk of injury.

How Much Protein Do Endurance Athletes Need?

It is recommended that endurance athletes consume 1.2-2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day (Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2016).

And optimal intakes tend to be at the upper end of this range (1.8+ grams per kilogram per day).

Eating this much protein can be challenging for some athletes, especially those with busy schedules or dietary restrictions, which is where protein powder can help.

Adding a scoop of protein powder to your diet is a convenient way to reach your protein goals and fill in gaps in your fueling regimen.

It can easily be added to smoothies, oatmeal, and other recipes, or simply mixed with milk or water to make a protein shake.

Keep in mind that protein supplementation is most beneficial when dietary protein needs are not met through whole foods.

All endurance athletes should try to get as much protein as they can from foods like dairy, eggs, fish, legumes, meat, nuts, and seeds.

The decision to consume protein powder should thus be individualized, based on a thorough dietary assessment and specific training goals.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Endurance Athletes?

The type of protein powder that you add to your diet is not particularly important.

That is, as long as you are eating a balanced diet (getting protein from a variety of sources), any type of protein powder can help achieve your performance goals.

Not all protein powders are created equal, however.

Many protein powders contain ingredients that can contribute to health problems known to impair athletic performance.

Among the most problematic ingredients are food additives, dairy-based proteins, and protein concentrates/isolates.

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating food additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, artificial sweeteners, and other ultra-processed additives can alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

Over time, this can lead to gut dysbiosis, which can impair athletic performance (Eur J Appl Physiol, 2024).

This happens due dysbiosis-driven changes such as increased intestinal permeability, systemic inflammation, altered nutrient absorption, and reduced production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).

Did you know that SCFAs modulate skeletal muscle metabolism, preserve muscle glycogen, and reduce inflammation, all of which are important for optimal endurance?

⚠️ Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein supplements:

• acacia fiber
• acacia gum
• acesulfame potassium
• artificial flavors
• ascorbic acid
• aspartame
• calcium carbonate
• carrageenan
• cellulose gum
• dextrin
• dicalcium phosphate
• dipotassium phosphate
• erythritol
• gellan gum
• guar gum
• gum arabic
• inulin
• locust bean gum
• maltitol
• maltodextrin
• mono- and diglycerides
• ‘natural’ flavors
• rice bran extract
• rice dextrin
• rice hulls
• rosemary extract
• silica
• silicon dioxide
• sodium alginate
• soluble corn fiber
• sorbitol
• soy lecithin
• sucralose
• sunflower lecithin
• tocopherols
• tricalcium phosphate
• xanthan gum
• xylitol
• zinc oxide

As a rule of thumb, if you cannot find it in nature or make it at home, it is probably a food additive.

🚫 Avoid Dairy-Based Proteins

Dairy-based proteins like whey and casein, although not an issue for everyone, can cause digestive issues too.

This is usually because they contain lactose, a sugar many individuals with sensitive stomachs cannot fully digest.

But you might be sensitive to dairy-based proteins even if you are not lactose intolerant.

This is particularly true for casein protein, which forms a gel-like substance in your stomach that slows down digestion.

🚫 Avoid Protein Concentrates and Isolates

You might also want to avoid ultra-processed protein concentrates and isolates.

Most protein supplements are made from one or both of these ultra-processed protein sources, which have been mechanically and/or chemically stripped of everything but the protein.

This includes the enzymes, fiber, and other natural digestive aids that help your gut break them down.

You therefore do not digest them in the same way that you do whole foods, which could affect your gut health.

Studies show that regularly eating protein concentrates and isolates might disrupt your gut microbiome and cause the formation of toxic byproducts in your gut (Nutrients, 2018; Mol Nutr Food Res, 2024).

You should thus look for protein supplements made from whole food protein sources like egg whites and almonds, which are easier to digest and absorb.

Order Samples to see for yourself.

Sources

1. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (Med Sci Sports Exerc). Nutrition and Athletic Performance. 2016.
2. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
3. European Journal of Applied Physiology (Eur J Appl Physiol). What if gastrointestinal complications in endurance athletes were gut injuries in response to a high consumption of ultra-processed foods? Please take care of your bugs if you want to improve endurance performance: a narrative review. 2024.
4. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
5. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (Mol Nutr Food Res). In Vitro Fermentation of Animal and Plant Protein Isolates by the Human Gut Microbiota Under High and Low Carbohydrate Conditions.. 2024.

Editorial Guidelines

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This article was written by a Certified Nutrition Coach and reviewed by a Registered Dietitian. We rely on peer-reviewed research and trusted medical sources, and regularly update our content to ensure accuracy and clarity.