Best Lactose-Free Protein Powders

Roughly 65% of the world is lactose intolerant. For those who want to build more muscle, this takes a lot of protein powders off the menu.¹Lactose intolerance

We’ve scoured the most popular picks on Amazon to bring you this curated list of the top 10 best lactose-free protein powders.

In this guide:

• Top 10 best lactose-free protein powders
• Protein powder dosage
• Science-backed benefits of protein powder

Top 10 Best Lactose-Free Protein Powders

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Taking Lactose-Free Protein Powder

Once you’ve picked your protein, you’ll need to strategize your dosage and timing.

Protein Powder Dosage

Here’s how to strategize your protein powder dosage.

• For Building Muscle

If you’re wanting build muscle mass, research has shown that you should take around 0.73 to 1.1 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (1.6 to 2.4 grams per kilogram of weight).²A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults³Do athletes need more dietary protein and amino acids?

Of course, the more you lift weights or engage in other exercise, the more protein you’ll need.

To build muscle with lactose-free protein powder, we recommend either Isopure’s whey isolate or Naked’s pea protein Isolate, as they both have high protein content.

• For Weight Loss

If you’re trying to lose weight, it’s important to consume fewer calories and less protein. Research has demonstrated that roughly 0.36 to 0.73 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is ideal for fat loss. (That’s 0.8 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of bodyweight.)⁴A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults⁵Dietary protein intake and human health.

And as with any goal, the more active and athletic you are, the more protein you’ll need. If you’re working out a lot, you’ll want to stick to the higher end of that spectrum.

To maintain a lower calorie intake while taking egg white protein powder, Legion’s casein+ protein powder and NOW Sports’ sprouted brown rice protein powder are great options.

• For Health and Wellness

If you simply want to supplement your diet with lactose-free protein powder, your recommended protein intake will be similar to someone with weight loss goals. That is, about 0.36 to 0.73 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight (or 0.8 to 1.6 grams per kilogram), depending on your athletic activity.

We recommend picking something simple and delicious for this, such as Isopure Infusions’ fruity whey isolate.

When to Take Lactose-Free Protein

Here’s a quick rundown on the science behind when you should take your lactose-free protein powder.

• For Building Muscle

If you’re wanting to build muscle mass, research has shown that the best time to take any protein supplement is right after your workout.

Many studies have found significant benefit from taking protein right after working out. These effects are more pronounced when taking a protein/carbohydrate mix.

Benefits of post-workout protein:

• Boosted muscle protein synthesis (muscle tissue building)⁶Reduced resting skeletal muscle protein synthesis is rescued by resistance exercise and protein ingestion following short-term energy deficit.⁷Regulation of Muscle Glycogen Repletion, Muscle Protein Synthesis and Repair Following Exercise
• Increased muscle mass over time⁸A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults
• Improved glycogen production and storage (muscle energy)⁹Early postexercise muscle glycogen recovery is enhanced with a carbohydrate-protein supplement¹⁰Postexercise protein-carbohydrate and carbohydrate supplements increase muscle glycogen in men and women
• Increased strength and performance levels¹¹THE EFFECT OF A CARBOHYDRATE AND PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT ON RESISTANCE EXERCISE PERFORMANCE, HORMONAL RESPONSE, AND MUSCLE DAMAGE¹²Timing of postexercise protein intake is important for muscle hypertrophy with resistance training in elderly humans
• Decreased muscle damage¹³Effect of milk-based carbohydrate-protein supplement timing on the attenuation of exercise-induced muscle damage
• Decrease delayed-onset muscle soreness¹⁴Acute milk-based protein–CHO supplementation attenuates exercise-induced muscle damage

It’s important to note that although muscle mass is typically thought of as a manly thing, it’s incredibly important for both men and women.

As explained farther down, muscle plays a vital roll in burning calories and fat for both men and women. For more information, you can take a look at our guide on the Top 20 Best Protein Powders for Women.

• For Weight Loss

If you’re trying to lose fat, you’ll still want to take protein right after your workout. As explained above, studies have shown that this helps with losing fat.

In addition, increased muscle mass helps with burning more calories at rest, which in turn will help with weight loss.

If you don’t work out or if you take more than one lactose-free protein powder shake during the day, then you’ll want to take your protein in between meals. Research has shown that protein shakes in between meals, as opposed to those taken with meals, help with fat loss.¹⁵Effects of protein supplements consumed with meals, versus between meals, on resistance training–induced body composition changes in adults: a systematic review

For more thorough information on protein powder dosage and timing, check out our full protein powder guide.

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Benefits of Protein Powders

Why take lactose-free protein powders? Here’s a quick breakdown of the benefits.

Building and Preserving Muscle Mass

Studies have shown that taking protein supplements alongside regular exercise can lead to increased muscle mass.¹⁶Whey Protein Supplementation Improves Body Composition and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis¹⁷A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults

There are a two main reasons for this.

First, the supply of amino acids from the protein stops the body from breaking down muscle. This breakdown is a natural process called muscle catabolism, but it’s not helpful when you’re trying to build muscle.

Second, the body starts to create muscle tissue at a higher rate when supplied with plenty of amino acids directly following a workout.¹⁸Reduced resting skeletal muscle protein synthesis is rescued by resistance exercise and protein ingestion following short-term energy deficit.¹⁹Postexercise net protein synthesis in human muscle from orally administered amino acids²⁰Protein requirements and muscle mass/strength changes during intensive training in novice bodybuilders.²¹Effects of exaggerated amino acid and protein supply in man.

Boosting Performance and Decreasing Soreness

Protein supplements help with more than just muscle size. Research has shown that drinking a protein shake after workouts leads to increased strength, performance levels, and one repetition max.²²A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults/mfn]²²Timing of postexercise protein intake is important for muscle hypertrophy with resistance training in elderly humans²³Effects of resistance training and protein plus amino acid supplementation on muscle anabolism, mass, and strength

There are three major reasons behind this.

First, protein supplements simply help the body produce more muscle tissue, as discussed above.

Second, drinking protein after an intense workout helps restore muscle glycogen, a primary energy source. ²⁴Early postexercise muscle glycogen recovery is enhanced with a carbohydrate-protein supplement²⁵Carbohydrate-protein complex increases the rate of muscle glycogen storage after exercise²⁶Postexercise protein-carbohydrate and carbohydrate supplements increase muscle glycogen in men and women²⁷Regulation of Muscle Glycogen Repletion, Muscle Protein Synthesis and Repair Following Exercise

And finally, post-workout protein also reduces muscle soreness. Since sore, damaged muscle fiber can’t perform as well as it normally could, reducing soreness results in increased performance and resultant strength gains over time. ²⁸THE EFFECT OF A CARBOHYDRATE AND PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT ON RESISTANCE EXERCISE PERFORMANCE, HORMONAL RESPONSE, AND MUSCLE DAMAGE²⁹Effect of milk-based carbohydrate-protein supplement timing on the attenuation of exercise-induced muscle damage³⁰Acute milk-based protein–CHO supplementation attenuates exercise-induced muscle damage

Weight Loss

Research has demonstrated that drinking protein shakes can help with reducing fat mass while increasing or maintaining muscle mass.³¹Whey Protein Supplementation Improves Body Composition and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis³²A whey-protein supplement increases fat loss and spares lean muscle in obese subjects: a randomized human clinical study³³Effects of protein supplements consumed with meals, versus between meals, on resistance training–induced body composition changes in adults: a systematic review

There are a few contributing factors here.

The simplest is that protein shakes are filling, and can often replace unhealthy food choices. They can help with both appetite control and responsible dietary choices.

But beyond simple meal replacements, protein shakes help increase muscle mass, which in turns helps with burning fat.

Even at rest, muscle consumes more calories than fat does. This means that the more muscle tissue you have, the higher your resting metabolism. And the higher your resting metabolism, the easier it is to maintain a calorie deficit and burn fat.

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Summary

Protein supplements can be very useful tools for achieving health and fitness goals. For those who are lactose intolerant, lactose-free protein powders are a great way to reap some of protein powder’s benefits.

For more information on protein supplementation, see our full protein powder guide.