Whey
protein has gone through a number of phases over the years
– from being used only by bodybuilders to now being used by athletes and casual
exercisers at all levels.
This article will get to the core of what science
says about whey protein powders. You will learn whether or not you should you
use whey protein, the differences between the various types of whey protein,
and how to make a smart purchase if you decide to use it.
What is Whey Protein?
Whey protein is a liquid by product of cheese production that is sold as a dietary supplement in
protein powders and shakes. Whey protein used to be discarded by cheese
manufacturers as a waste product.
Whey protein is also a “complete protein” that is fast and easy
to digest. Whenever we eat a protein source, our body uses the 20 amino acids
(which are the individual components of “protein”) to repair our bones,
muscles, organs and virtually every body part and tissue in the human body.
When a source of protein has all 9 essential amino acids, which are amino acids
your body needs to get from food, that food is said to be a complete protein.
Foods like meats, dairy, eggs and rare vegetable proteins such as quinoa are complete
proteins.
On the other hand, most vegetables, rice and starches are not
complete proteins because they are missing one or more of the essential amino
acids.
Not only do foods have different amino acid
profiles, but the rate at which the protein is absorbed by your body can vary.
Of the different measures of protein absorption, one of the most popular is
Biological Value (BV). Whey protein just so happens to have the highest score
possible with a Biological Value of 100. This means that whey protein contains
all the amino acids needed to make a complete protein and is very easily
digested by your body.
Whey Protein Benefits
While no supplement can replace a diet of whole,
natural, unprocessed foods, whey protein can be useful for people with a very busy,
on-the-go lifestyle as a supplement to their normal diet.
The benefits of a high-quality whey protein
supplement range from purely aesthetic to health preserving. Here’s a small
list of 10 benefits that have been associated with whey protein supplementation:
1. Weight Loss
2. Assists in
increasing in muscle mass
3. Assist in
cancer treatment
4. Increase
in glutathione levels (your body’s main water-based anti-oxidant)
5. Decrease
in HIV symptoms
6. Decrease
in triglycerides
7. Decrease
in total cholesterol while increasing HDL (good cholesterol)
8. Increase
in immune system function
9. Increase
in power in sports
10.Decreased
recovery time and symptoms of over-training
If you look at the list of benefits from up above
(assistance with cancer, HIV, decreased recovery time, etc), most of those
benefits are usually attributed to the increase in glutathione production.
Whey Protein Risks?
Generally, most of the complications associated
with whey protein intake have to do with digestive issues, such as gas,
bloating, headaches, cramps and fatigue. None of these are generally considered
life-threatening, more so than annoying complications.
Most of the literature has shown that if you’re
experiencing any of have these symptoms, they are most likely due to either the
lactose (found more in Whey Protein Concentrate) or sweeteners used more so
than the whey protein itself.
The biggest fear often expressed about whey protein
intake is that too much protein is “bad for the kidneys.” Research though has
shown this is not true at all in healthy individuals. For those with known
kidney disease, high protein diets can exacerbate pre-existing conditions.
Healthy individuals, without any underlying or unknown kidney disease have
nothing to worry about with higher intakes of protein.
What does occur with higher protein intakes is your
body adapts to the increase in protein by increasing glomerular filtration
rates (which means more fluid passes by your kidneys and there’s an increase in
urine production).
Whey Protein Types
If you’ve ever gone to purchase a whey protein
supplement, you may have felt a little confused by the different types out
there and wonder why one brand may be so expensive and the other so
“affordable.”
This section will help filter through some of the main types of Whey protein.
There are three main types of whey protein:
(1) Whey Protein Concentrate,
(2) Whey Protein Isolate and
(3) Whey Protein Hydrolysate.
The differences between these three come down to
how processed the protein is and hence the amount of protein present without
any of the other qualities of dairy products such as fat, lactose (milk sugar),
and various immunoglobulins.
Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) is
generally the cheapest of the three and has the lowest amount of protein per
100 grams of the three types. Despite having the lowest protein content, it
still has a very high percentage typically ranging from 55-89%. The other
11-45% is made up of fat, lactose and contains higher amounts of various
immune-enhancing peptides such as alpha-lactalbumin and immunoglobulins.
Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) has on
average 95% of its weight coming from protein, with minimal lactose and fat.
This is more expensive than concentrate and there are varying methods of
filtration that can keep many of the beneficial qualities of the concentrate,
although this generally costs more.
Whey Protein Hydrolysate (WPH) is a
further degraded protein that digests very quickly in the body and has about
99% of its weight coming from protein. This is the most expensive of the three
and generally the worst tasting.
When To Use Whey Protein
Since Whey Protein is quickly digested, the only
time you would want to take whey protein alone is within 30 to 60 minutes after
a strength-training based workout. At any other time, you would want to slow
down the digestion of the protein by eating it with other foods. For example,
if you want extra protein for breakfast, but don’t want eggs, you can add the
whey protein powder to some oats, in various pancake recipes.
If on the other hand, you’re looking for a quick
snack at work, you can have a shake with some nuts or fish oil to slow down the
digestion of the protein. The combination of the fat will help slow down the
digestion of the protein, thereby allowing insulin levels to stay level, while
also stimulating CCK, which is a hormone that helps tell your body that you’re
full.
What is The Best Whey Protein?
There are various qualities people will look for
when purchasing a whey protein supplement, which range from purity, to
digestibility, to whether or not it’s from an organic source, to quite simply
the taste of the protein itself. The key characteristics of the whey protein
supplement is that it contains a high amount of protein, very little to no
artificial sweeteners and/or hormones, all the beneficial components of the
immunoglobulins, minimization of lactose, while being somewhat palatable.
With all of those factors taken into consideration,
whey protein isolate turns to being your top pick, as it meets all the
criteria.
Whey Protein Isolate has high amounts of protein, while minimizing
the amount of lactose (found more in WPC).
WPI is easily digested and if
cold-filtered can contain most of the immunoglobulins, which the whey protein
hydrolysate is typically lacking due to the extreme processing it goes through.
Also, although WPC may taste a bit better, whey protein hydrolysate is not very
palatable, whereas you can find WPI brands with minimal artificial sweeteners
that still tastes good.
Be Smart
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