How to Find the Best Protein Powder for Swimmers

📌 Overview and Key Takeaways

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

Discover how to meet your total daily protein needs as a swimmer.

Last Updated
Jul 21, 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 Swimmers

Is Protein Powder Good for Swimmers?

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

Moreover, many swimmers, especially distance swimmers, do not consume nearly enough protein, which can have a serious negative impact on their performance.

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

This will eventually make you slower because:

• Strong muscles can propel you forward with each stroke, leading to more efficient technique.
• Increased muscle mass can contribute to greater power output, enabling you to swim faster and with more endurance.
• Strong muscles provide better support and stability to joints, decreasing the risk of common swimming injuries.

It is recommended that swimmers consume 0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per meal across a minimum of four meals in order to reach a minimum of 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day (J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2018).

Eating this much protein can be challenging for some swimmers, 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.

What Is the Best Protein Powder for Swimmers?

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

That is, as long as you are eating a balanced diet, any type (egg white, pea, whey, etc.) of protein powder can help achieve your fitness goals.

Not all protein powders are created equal, however.

Many protein powders contain ingredients that can not only cause painful side-effects, but also long-term health problems.

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

🚫 Avoid Food Additives

Regularly eating food additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, and flavorings can not only upset your stomach, but also alter the composition and function of your gut microbiome (North Clin Istanb, 2019).

This can lead to gut dysbiosis, which can impair athletic performance (Microorganisms, 2022).

Your gut microbiome regulates energy metabolism by supplying your muscles with oxygen and nutrients during intense exercise (J Sport Health Sci, 2016).

It also reduces inflammation and expedites tissue repair, helping to improve performance and expedite recovery (Gut, 2018).

So, when the balance of bacteria therein is off, your ability to train, perform, and recover is compromised.

⚠️ Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein shakes and powders:

• 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.

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 shakes and powders 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 shakes and powders 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. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (J Int Soc Sports Nutr). How much protein can the body use in a single meal for muscle-building? Implications for daily protein distribution. 2018.
2. Northern Clinics of Istanbul (North Clin Istanb). Food additives and microbiota. 2019.
3. Microorganisms (Microorganisms). Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis: Triggers, Consequences, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Options. 2022.
4. Journal of Sport and Health Science (J Sport Health Sci). Endurance exercise and gut microbiota: A review. 2016.
5. Gut (Gut). The microbiome of professional athletes differs from that of more sedentary subjects in composition and particularly at the functional metabolic level. 2018.
6. Nutrients (Nutrients). Effect of a Protein Supplement on the Gut Microbiota of Endurance Athletes: A Randomized, Controlled, Double-Blind Pilot Study. 2018.
7. 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.