Your Complete Guide on Whey Protein – Types, Benefits, and Precautions >> Before we go and find the best way to consume whey protein, first we need to grasp the three major types available. Also, we need to find out the differences between the three as these are quite different from each other. It is essential to establish which form of whey protein food would be best for you and it all depends on your health goals and issues.
So, you need to know how and when you should consume whey protein for optimal benefits. We will look at the side effects of this protein variant, as it may not be suitable for you.
Your Complete Guide on Whey Protein
Every protein food is rated according to its biological value (BV) – a scale. To make it simple, if the BV is higher, the more the protein contained in the food would be absorbed by your body for:
- Building muscle and
- Repairing tissues.
The yardstick on the BV scale is as follows:
- Egg protein that scores 100,
- Beef protein scores nearly 75; however, whey protein can go beyond 150!
Whey protein food in its organic form contains a lot of milk sugar (lactose) and fat. Therefore, it requires to be filtered during the production process to erase a lot of this.
Major Three Forms of Your Complete Guide on Whey Protein
A whey protein dealer or whey protein exporter extracts protein from milk and makes it available in three main forms.
- Concentrate whey protein
- Isolate whey protein
- Hydrolyzed whey protein
The cheapest form of Whey Protein is the Concentrate
The concentrate’s protein content hovers around 70% – 85%; however, they are inapt for everyone. Because concentrate whey has a lactose content of around 5% and that can cause issues for folks with lactose intolerance.
Some gym enthusiasts prefer to concentrate on Isolate whey protein because it is cheaper. However, many people prefer it because they have a firm belief that less filtering proves to be an immune booster contained in the protein.
The next is the Isolate Whey Protein
Isolate whey protein is processed to get rid of lactose and fats. It also contains more than 90% protein in a majority of cases.
Isolate whey protein offered by NOW foods is 100% pure and unflavored. This type of protein powder is good for people who go through intolerance of lactose. Also, some whey manufacturers include the enzyme lactase during the formulation.
Hydrolysate or Hydrolyzed Whey Protein
This whey protein type is the most expensive. However, many, especially those who use protein powders to build muscle would agree that they are among the easiest to take.
The major benefit of hydrolysate is that they offer fewer digestive problems.
The protein is quickly utilized and absorbed by the body. The reason is treating the whey with enzymes brings easy to absorb peptide chains and amino acids. Also, there are fewer allergy issues compared to those associated with the least expensive products.
What Does Whey Protein Do?
Whey protein offers your body protein in an ideal form to build muscle and to get recovery from an arduous workout. Since your body can absorb it so quickly, it is utilized by
- professional athletes,
- sportsmen, and
- bodybuilders
They are especially used to get that vital protein boost that a human body needs post-workout.
In addition, hydrolysate whey protein has a powerful antioxidant feature that strengthens the immune system. Its regular use helps to develop a robust immune system over time.
If you have an interest in consuming whey protein shakes for immune development, you may take hydrolysate protein shakes for boosting your immune system.
Bonus Benefit of Your Complete Guide on Whey Protein
As an additional benefit for those who are on a weight-loss mission and concerned about muscle and the desired fat loss, whey protein aids to prevent this.
It is a proven fact that those consuming whey supplements in their weight loss program,
- feel less hungry and
- eat less at mealtimes
Therefore, whey could help you too in reaching your weight loss targets!
Who Should be Consuming Whey Protein
You must consider consuming whey protein if you look for:
- Improving lean muscle mass of your body,
- Get a quicker recovery time after workout sessions and
- The boost related to your metabolic rate
However, sportsmen or athletes are not the only people who can reap benefits from supplementation. Because scientific studies have found benefits of whey protein supplements to help different groups of people including
- Senior citizens,
- Those on diets targeting weight reduction,
- Young children,
- Those undergoing cancer treatment, and
- Those who are in the healing phase after injury or surgery and to make sure appropriate protein intake for vegans.
When Should One Consume Whey Protein?
The first thing here is that if you need supplementation with any of the whey protein forms, you must consult your doctor first. You have to be 100% sure that it is helpful and safe for you to take a protein supplement. You must have answers to these two questions:
- Why you need whey protein supplements? and
- Which whey protein form would be beneficial for you?
There is various online content that describes in detail how much protein (in grams) you must be taking daily. Consumption of whey depends on
- Your weight,
- Your level of workout,
- What are your hopes to achieve regarding muscle mass gain or
- Whether or not you are on a weight loss diet
You may also consider supplements for other health reasons. Since there are multiple variables, including individual products’ protein quantity, it is impossible to advice on how much one should take.
People like to consume protein shake for the breakfast to recharge the nutrient and repair their body’s tissues. These whey protein shakes are popular as drinks for pre and post-workout as an easy and quick way of completing a certain amount of protein.
People on weight-loss diets often use whey protein isolate as a replacement for a meal. It aids them to feel fuller without consuming much food. However, taking in excess of 50 grams of Isolate whey protein is not recommended.
Also, you should be eating a balanced diet carrying a range of other foods including other protein sources.
Simple Ways to take Whey Protein
Following are some of the popular, easy, and effective ways to consume this popular protein supplement:
- Choco-nut shake
- Sticky coffee shake
- Protein bars
- Shakes (ready to drink)