Getting enough protein is essential to a healthy diet, and will help you recover better after running. But it can be difficult to get enough into your meals, whether it be due to dietary restrictions, food preferences or simply being pushed for time. That’s why we’ve been testing out some of the best protein powder for women to help you get your fix.

The best protein powder for women runners

• Best flavour protein powder: Kendal Mint Co KMC Pro Mix
• Best organic protein powder: The Organic Protein Co Vanilla Whey Protein
• Best vegan protein powder: Form Pureblend Protein
• Best protein powder for post-workout: SiS Rego Clear Recovery
• Best clear protein: MyProtein Clear Vegan Protein

Protein Powder FAQs

Why might runners need a protein powder?

Everyone needs protein in their diet. When we run, we cause a small amount of damage to our muscles. These muscles repair themselves and they also get stronger, so that they’re better prepared in future. This process is known as Muscle Protein Synthesis (MPS).

But, without enough protein, this process isn’t possible. We need to make sure we have enough protein for our muscles to get gradually stronger, and this might mean consuming more as runners than the average person might need for daily function.

How do I choose the right protein powder for me?

A quick search will reveal hundreds of different protein powders out there. How on earth do you pick one? For starters, you want to think about your specific needs. Are you veggie or vegan? Do you want to drink it as a shake, or would you prefer it as a clear drink? Do you need to avoid certain ingredients such as dairy? What flavours do you like? Once you’ve narrowed it down, there are some key things to look for. We want a protein powder with as many of the nine essential amino acids as possible. These are the building blocks of protein that we need to take in from dietary sources. Then you may want to consider the other ingredients involved – many people prefer to avoid things like sweeteners or too much sugar.

Still not sure? Read on for our expert testers’ reviews of the best protein powder for runners…

The best protein powders for runners

Best flavour: Kendal Mint Co KMC Pro Mix

Kendal Mint Co KMC Pro Mix details:

• RRP: £34.99 (£1.90 per serving)
• Size: 720g
• Protein type: whey
• Protein content: 21g per serving
• Suitable for: vegetarian & gluten-free

What our tester said:

“This has made it so easy to ensure I’m getting enough protein. I’m really picky about protein powders when it comes to flavour. Any sense of gross aftertaste and I’m out. This really delivered in that area. The chocolatey-mint flavour was so delicious, and there was no nasty aftertaste.

It mixed amazingly with just water. I also mixed it with milk, as that’s my preferred way to protein, and it did well with that too, even though I was only using the shaker, not a blender. I was also impressed by its relatively small number of ingredients and the fact that it’s gluten-free, vegetarian and easy on the digestion. It has really good macros, with 21g of protein per serving, and it’s so easy to mix and drink that I have no problem hitting my daily protein goals now.”

Best organic protein powder: The Organic Protein Co Vanilla Whey Protein

The Organic Protein Co Vanilla Whey Protein details:

• RRP: £24 (£1.50 per serving)
• Size: 400g
• Protein type: why
• Protein content: 18.8g per serving
• Suitable for: vegetarian

What our tester said:

“If you’re looking for a protein powder that has minimal added ingredients then this one definitely fits the bill. There are three organic ingredients in the madagascan vanilla flavour I tested: whey protein from milk, coconut sugar and Bourbon vanilla pods. It has quite a subtle taste, unlike the others I’ve tasted, but is very pleasant. It blended easily in my shaker bottle. Nutrition wise you’re getting 18.8g of protein per serving with 2.6g or carbs. This would be a good option to blend into a recovery smoothie that you’re making as it won’t dominate the flavour. There are other flavours in the range including a pure, unflavoured whey protein. 25p from every pack is donated to Compassion in World Farming and a scoop isn’t included as standard to minimise plastic waste.”

Best vegan protein: Form Pureblend Protein

Form Pureblend Protein details:

• RRP: £26 (£2 per serving)
• Size: 520g
• Protein type: pea protein, pumpkin seed protein, brown rice protein
• Protein content: 15g per serving
• Suitable for: vegan & vegetarian

What our tester said:

“This vegan and gluten-free protein powder is made from a blend of organic pea with brown rice and pumpkin seed proteins. It provides 15g of complete amino acid profile protein per serving. It’s also delicious. I tried it with both milk (because I’m not vegan) and water and it blended well with both in my shaker. Even mixed with water it was nice enough to drink but with milk (you could use plant milk) it tasted more indulgent. There is a tiny bit of graininess to the drink. I tried all the flavours including Tiramisu and found them all lovely. It comes in 100% plastic-free and compostable packaging, and doesn’t include a scoop but instead instructions to use two tablespoons.”

Best post-run protein powder: SiS Rego Clear Recovery

SiS Rego Clear Recovery details:

• RRP: £25 (£2.50 per serving)
• Size: 460g
• Protein type: whey
• Protein content: 20g per serving
• Suitable for: vegetarian

What our tester said:

“As well as the 20g of protein, this powder is formulated to include 21g of carbohydrate (but with just 1.5g of sugar) to help you refuel after a hard training session. It’s a ‘clear’ whey formula so a refreshing drink that you mix with water and not a milky type recovery drink. You use quite a large scoop per serving and this took me a little longer to blend in my shaker bottle than the others I tested. But once mixed it wasn’t grainy or lumpy. It comes in two flavours: peach or cranberry and raspberry. I wasn’t much of a fan of the peach but that was just personal taste and I did find it had a bit of an artificial taste to it.”

Best clear protein: MyProtein Clear Vegan Protein

MyProtein Clear Vegan Protein details:

• RRP: £24.99 (£1.25 per serving)
• Size: 320g
• Protein type: pea protein
• Protein content: 11g per serving
• Suitable for: vegan & vegetarian

What our tester said:

“I’ve been drinking the apple and elderflower flavour of this product and if you served it to me without telling me that it was a protein drink, I’d be hard pressed to tell. It has a really pleasant flavour and the consistency is completely smooth with no lumps or graininess from minimal shaking in a mixer. It doesn’t deliver as big a hit of protein as some of the other products I tested, but was light and refreshing so perfect for a summer drink to help you towards your daily protein goal. If you’re not a fan of milk drinks, then this is for you and there are a whole heap of flavours to choose from. It comes in a large plastic tub with a scoop so room for improvement on the packaging.”