Do Men And Women Need Different Protein Powder?
Q: Do men and women need different protein powder? I was at the supplement store the other day and an associate was trying to sell me a powder that he said was specially designed for women. I didn’t buy it but now I’m having second thoughts. Yes, I know that supplement stores are virtually nonexistent with the convenience and cheaper pricing offered by online shopping but this incident really took place the other day and isn’t an old memory of something similar from years ago that I’m now misremembering as recent!
A: There’s been an influx of protein powders marketed specifically for women. These so-called women’s protein powders usually have a higher content of nutrients like folic acid, vitamin B6, and iron to better support women’s bodies but the amount is often negligible and the additives can be unnecessary if the vitamins and minerals are already obtained via the diet or with other supplements. How else these products are differentiated is by their packaging with softer colors and feminine fonts so they’re more appealing to female consumers.
The inclusion of certain ingredients are what manufacturers use to justify why women’s protein powders are more expensive than regular protein powders that are supposedly for men. If you want to pay a premium for that, then go ahead. But if taking protein powder for the express purpose of acquiring protein, then there’s no need for “his” and “hers” powders because protein is protein and reacts as such whether it’s in a man’s or woman’s body.
Protein breaks down into amino acids that help the body build and repair muscle, in addition to other functions. That’s how protein works, regardless of the source and who ingests it. That said that protein doesn’t get digested and absorbed differently among the sexes, men and women do have different protein needs in regard to quantity, as women usually need a little less protein than men because of the differences in body composition between the two. It’s based on this idea that manufacturers of female protein powders tend to lower the protein content per serving of their products while still charging a higher price. In most instances, that amounts to paying more per gram of protein.
If you want to pay more for less protein because you’re a baller and money isn’t an issue for you, then go ahead. But if balling isn’t in your budget, then paying an upcharge for a protein powder with servings more befitting of your smaller size isn’t necessary. Instead of paying a convenience tax for that, you can simply buy a “male” powder with higher protein content and serve yourself what it says on the nutrition label then factor it into your total protein intake or do the math of calculating how much less protein powder to scoop out to meet your desired serving of protein.
Apart from the serving size of protein powder possibly varying between a man and a woman because of the higher amount of muscle mass that men have, there’s nothing that differentiates men and women in issues pertaining to the use of protein powder. As such, gendered protein powders are functionally identical. That being so, then why does protein powder for women exist with its distinct packaging and select ingredients that can be obtained elsewhere and aren’t necessary additions?
Why are women being told that they should use a different protein powder than the one that would be used by their boyfriend, husband, or male they’re in a complicated relationship with? Well, ask yourself the same thing about bar soap, body wash, hair dye, shampoo, deodorant, and shaving cream, for example. The core function of all those products is the same but they exist as male and female versions. The reason for that lies in the price tag.
As touched on before that many of the protein powders that are marketed for women are more expensive than their male or unisex counterparts, the same goes for other feminized products. And as pointed out with protein powder that the additives are often unnecessary, so too are the slight modifications of formulations in skincare products. Putting the two together, we can surmise that product gendering is a way to extract more money from ignorant consumers who have internalized the notion that there are inherent gender differences in needs.
Yup, that’s what the answer is!
Anyway, here’s some help for the next time that you have to wonder about why something exists the way it does when it shouldn’t.
And that tip is?!?!
Yup, just blame capitalism because you’ll be correct nine out of ten times that something exploitative is the fault of it because it’s the absolute worst!
Now, does anyone else have a fitness or nutrition question of their own that they want to ask?
Glossary: amino acid, diet, fitness, muscle, nutrition, supplement, vitamin
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