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5 Best Protein Powders for Hot Drinks from CrossFit BC. Most protein powders clump in hot liquid. These five actually work in coffee, hot chocolate, and warm oats, plus the tempering trick that saves whey.
The 5 Best Protein Powders for Hot Drinks (Coffee, Hot Chocolate, and More)
This article is part of the CrossFit BC journal, written by the coaching staff who run our classes in Olympic Village, Vancouver. We publish what we teach on the floor: training decisions, recovery, nutrition, and the honest tradeoffs behind them.
Yes, but choose the right type. Hydrolyzed collagen peptides dissolve cleanly in hot coffee with no clumping and no taste. Ordinary whey or plant protein will clump in liquid above about 70 degrees Celsius unless you temper it first by mixing it into a paste with a small amount of cool liquid.
Heat denatures protein, which changes its shape and texture, but it does not destroy its nutritional value. Your body digests denatured protein fine. The clumping in hot drinks is a texture problem, not a safety or nutrition problem.
No. Collagen is missing tryptophan and is low in branched-chain amino acids, so it should not be your main protein source for muscle building. It is excellent for joints, skin, and connective tissue, and as an easy protein boost in hot drinks, but keep complete proteins like whey, dairy, or eggs in your day.
A collagen creamer such as Vital Proteins Collagen Creamer is the easiest option because it adds creaminess and vanilla flavour along with 10 grams of collagen. Unflavoured collagen peptides also work well and let the chocolate flavour lead.
Temper it. Mix the scoop with two or three tablespoons of cool or room-temperature liquid until it forms a smooth paste, then add the hot liquid slowly while stirring. Adding whey directly to a hot mug will clump every time.
Brew your coffee, then stir in one scoop of collagen peptides, which dissolve on contact. For whey, mix the scoop into a paste with two or three tablespoons of cool liquid first, then pour the hot coffee in slowly while stirring or frothing.
Collagen peptides dissolve fully in hot coffee. Whey and most plant proteins do not dissolve well in liquid hotter than about 70 degrees Celsius and will clump unless you temper them with a little cool liquid first.