If you can your better getting your protein from food.
Shakes are good for convenience but that's about it.
As for brand I use Isonatural its costly but its the cleanest protein you will find.
93% protein per serve, good amino acid profile.
ingredients: Whey Protein Isolate (WPI90™), Lecithin (less than 1%).
I get flavorless as I add it to shakes.
I use this one primarily because its clean. Most shakes you will find have other things added and those questionable artificial sweeteners. The downside is because it is a pure isolate protein its not cheap. Its about $60-70 for 30serves. I only use it after workouts as I cant stomach solid food straight away.
Been stronger on the pedals comes down to training and overall nutrition, whey is not magically going to make you stronger its just protein.
Whey supplements are just ways to fill nutritional gaps if you can fill those gaps with food do so.
- Carbs are important for a couple of reasons. Firstly because the insulin response caused by them in our blood stream improves the absorption both of the carbohydrate to replenish our energy stores but also of the protein to aid protein synthesis or muscle repair/growth. Secondly, if you deplete your glycogen stores and don't replenish post workout, your body will revert to breaking down protein in your muscles to help sustain you - not ideal for strength improvements (Marketing or science, i'm not 100% but it makes sense to me).
- Remember there is only so much protein your body can absorb in one sitting. More isn't better. Ideal amount seems to be around the 20-30grams as soon after a workout as you can.
The carb with protein is interesting, the big argument is the carbs increase IGF-1 which has been shown to be important for muscle building, however many bodybuilders now do keto diets and there is argument that the increase in IGF-1 is not a concern, there is argument each way but ultimately both people end up growing muscle so I don't think it matters either way. Diet probably has little effect on the resulting gains here based on one factor.
You need carbs when you have depleted the stores but whether they are needed in a certain ratio it seems to not matter in the real world.
Secondly the protein absorption rate is interesting. I don't think it ultimately matters. There are studies showing that meal timing does not matter and that if you get all your calories from one meal or 6 has no change on weight because ultimately your body is processing it. The evidence is scattered. Yes the excess will be stored as fat but if you than don't eat for a period of time GH increases which protects lean mass and the body burns fat.
Ultimately I am not convinced that the body only absorbs 20-30grams per meals because due to digestion rates its all going to change. Equally you would need to follow the body and find out if true what happens to the excess, if store as fat is it than broken down later for the fuel needed? while muscles are not broken at all. In which case meal timing again does not matter.
I however still see value in meal timing personally but there is lots of conflicting information out there now with fasting diets.
As you noted thought and I agree most of the supplement industry is marketing and even than its directed at bodybuilders in extreme cases. If you just eat right and workout you will get what you want.
edit.
IGF-1 has good and bad sides to it. Have a research and you will quickly be up to date