Whey protein – what is it? The biggest selling nutritional supplements for strength athletes and bodybuilders is whey protein. It is often suggested that you include a whey protein shake in your meal plans each day. With all the different variations, what do you need to look for when selecting whey protein? During the nineties, whey protein’s popularity grew. At the time egg protein had the majority of the market place but whey protein changed that. The reason was that much research and studies indicated whey protein was superior when it came to protein synthesis, over the older egg protein.
Why is whey good to include in my diet? * Whey has a high biological value which refers to how much actual protein from food is absorbed and retained by the body. * Whey contains all of the nine essential amino acids (EAAs – indispensible amino acids). * Whey is high in the three branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) – leucine, isoleucine and valine, all of which are essential for muscle growth and repair.
How fast is the protein absorbed into the body? Absorption and digestion of whey protein tends to be very quick due to the shorter chain amino acids. This is considered to be advantageous, post-workout for example, as protein will be in high demand by the body. The absorption rates for the different types of protein supplements vary. The approx. timings are as follows: WPH: 15mins, WPI: 30mins, WPC: 1hour
What are the different types of whey protein you can purchase? Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC): The filtration process used in the production of whey protein is called ultra-filtration. The protein is processed by separating the lactose and fat in milk through a porous membrane. The most popular WPC on the market is typically 68-80% protein. As WPC is less processed that other proteins, this is not the purest whey protein, however it is still a very high quality protein powder. The rest of the product is made up of a little fat and carbohydrate. This powder is normally perfectly adequate for the normal trainer. As WPC has had less processing it generally means that it is cheaper to buy than whey protein isolate or hydrolysate.
WPI (Whey Protein Isolate): This type of whey protein has had even more processing and filtering than WPC. The result is a purer high protein content. WPI is usually around 85-95% protein – those following a strict diet that are wanting to keep fat/carb levels to a minimum will often choose this type of powder. WPI can also be useful for those that are severe lactose intolerance as it contains significantly less lactose than Whey Concentrate.
Whey Protein Hydrolysate (WPH): When WPC or WPI go through a hydrolysis process, WPH is made. Smaller peptides are produced when the longer protein chains are broken down. The make-up of Whey is short peptides, but hydrolysis makes them even shorter. It is known as ‘pre-digesting’ the protein before consumption. This makes it easier on the digestive system, and the protein is absorbed at a faster rate. WPH is often touted as the best post-workout protein around, but that comes at expense. The best protein to take post-workout is WPH, as the body absorbs it very quickly. This is due to it being more digested than any other whey protein.
Which Protein Powder should I choose? There are many different types of proteins available in health food shops and on the internet, it can often be confusing for the consumer of which to buy. The individual needs to consider what aspects are most important to them. Normally price is the deciding factor. If price is a big factor for you then the obvious choice is WPC, it is the cheapest and still does a very good job.
The introduction of whey was definitely a revolution in sports nutrition. There are other proteins such as egg, casein and soya. Different types of meat have their own benefits too. Some users blend the different types of proteins into their diet which can be very useful. Casein is a slowly digested protein that is absorbed into the body providing a steady supply of amino acids for a number of hours. Using Casein could be ideal to prevent muscle breakdown during the fasting period overnight.
There are a lot of factors which come into play in our quest to grow bigger muscles, so in this grand scheme of things, does having the protein being absorbed very slightly quicker or having a few milligrams more of one amino acid really make that much difference? Especially when you compare this to having a balanced, healthy diet and hard consistent training? We all know a good healthy diet with a good protein intake from ‘real food’ is far more important than any protein powder. Taking this very important point into consideration, for the most of us wanting to gain muscle and strength whether it be competitively or recreationally to shape up, then a good quality whey concentrate powder will be fine. If you have a larger budget and feel that using a purer powder, WPI or WPH, then there is evidence that indicates it is ever so slightly advantageous, but is it worth the extra money?
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