Exploring The Truth Behind Whey Protein Powder

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Whey protein powder is becoming one of the most widely used sports supplements for its numerous benefits. This led to hundreds of researches being conducted on the benefits of using this type of supplement, with all agreeing that no matter what – protein is needed by your body to simply survive and function properly.

Many people get afraid when it comes to using supplements such as whey protein, but you will come to learn it is just basically powdered food that may be beneficial for your goals.

Are you seeking a whey protein expert guide? The following detailed resource would break it down for you in the most basic of forms.

What is Whey Protein?

Whey protein makes up about 20% of dairy milk while the rest is casein protein. You can see why whey protein powders are often used because drinking dairy milk is just not going to give a sufficient amount of whey protein if this is what you desire for your training and diet program. This type of nutrient absorbs quickly into the bloodstream for basically immediate use by your body.

Protein is used by your body for training in a variety of different ways. This nutrient when consumed can help prevent the catabolic effects that come from long anaerobic training, which simply means your body is using protein from muscles as a source of energy. The catabolic effect of protein being used is not good because that means muscle loss.

Aside from this, whey protein is often used immediately following a workout known as post recovery therapy. After training, your muscles need to be given protein to replace proteins within muscle that have been damaged. During your workout, you most likely depleted all of your protein storages, so some type of protein need to be consumed to help support the recovery.

Whether you need this protein within 1-2 hours following your workout is unclear. Some studies suggest that there is a nutrient timing window to encourage protein synthesis and muscle growth, but most research and dieticians agree that the next protein rich meal will suffice. However, many natural bodybuilders will disagree and assert that nutrient timing is very important and these are men and women who have trained bodies that show proof.

Regardless of the hundreds of studies on protein intake, whey protein is basically known for its ability to absorb faster into the bloodstream than casein protein. Nobody will argue about this point because it is simply a recognized fact.

 

Why Protein Synthesis is Important for You as an Athlete

Protein synthesis is very much important for muscle recovery and growth. This process has a very large explanation on what it is. However, to keep it simple, you basically need to know that muscle protein synthesis is when your muscle fibers are damaged through training, and protein consumed is transported by your blood to enter your muscle fibers and reach the proteins within.

The proteins already in the muscle cells are damaged as well, and the new proteins go in to repairs these proteins and either replace them or make the old ones stronger and denser. Science still argues which process actually occurs, but regardless, the end result is bigger muscle cells, thus the reason why your body grows through resistance training.

Different Types of Whey Protein

There are three different types of whey protein powders that are noted as being the primary groups, but only two really apply to athletes these days. Basic whey protein powder is generally used as a food additive and can be found in protein bars and things of this nature. The other two that apply to supplementing with are whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate.

Whey protein concentrate is put through a process where lactose, water, and some minerals are stripped away from the whey making it to have higher protein contents than regular whey powders. The special thing behind this variant of whey protein is that the contents have not been put through a process that may have disrupted the ability for the protein to digest properly.

Whey protein isolate is the more expensive variation because it is put through a very strenuous process. The protein concentrations in this version of whey are 90% or higher, which makes it supposedly far more superior than the previous two. The process strips away lactose and fat, making it the safer supplement to use by people who are lactose intolerant.

However, there is a catch to this more difficult process. The protein concentrations are higher, but the manufacturing of whey protein isolate makes the protein peptides become broken, and this means they may not be as effective for your body as the proteins in concentrate.

Each variation of whey protein can prove useful for those who participate in sports and other athletic activities. The choice is yours when it comes to which form of protein you wish to supplement with.

Whey Protein Powder is Not a Necessity

100% whey protein supplements are generally safe for all to use unless you are allergic to dairy. This type of supplement is just a powdered form of food, and does not even need to be purchased because there are a lot of foods out there rich in protein content such as meats, fish, poultry, eggs, tofu, and even quinoa.

However, whey protein supplements do come in handy because they make receiving your protein more convenient and easy to consume. You simply mix with water or your favorite liquid and drink it down.

No need to cook or wait for the food to be ready. This is why a lot of fitness enthusiasts purchase whey protein. You simply get the task done quickly when you have whey protein on stand by for use.

Resources

  1. Whey Protein Powder: Complete A-Z Guide For All Types Of Whey Supplements
  2. Protein – Which is Best?
  3. Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window?
  4. Muscle protein synthesis in response to nutrition and exercise
demmyjames
Demmy James is a fitness buff as well as a strength and conditioning specialist. He is also a content contributor for Muscle & Strength.