Well, you’ve read or heard about a great supplement that will help you pack on staggering amounts of lean muscle in a matter of weeks. And it’s called whey protein. So what type do you select? Isolate or concentrate. How much should you eat in a day?
As for how much to take in a day, people will tell you that you need to take 2g of protein per Kg of body weight; others suggest a whopping 2-4 g per pound of body weight. That is, if you were to weigh 100kg, you would need to consume around 200g according to the first group of people, while according to the second estimate, you would need to consume a whopping 440-880g of whey protein. That’s a waste of protein and, more importantly, of your hard-earned money. The human body has a tendency to throw away any excess nutrients that it ingests. So eating that amount of protein is like throwing your money down the drain.
Before we discuss which type of whey is best for you, let’s take a closer look at what whey protein is.
What is Whey Protein?
Before we get into the importance or necessity of whey protein supplementation, let’s take a look at what exactly whey is. Well, for starters, whey is a milk protein. In addition to casein, another protein that makes milk so crucial for growth is whey. Ok I have it! So why is it so important in building muscle and why is everyone talking about it? Well, one thing is for sure, it has a very high Biological Value (BV). Now, without overcomplicating things, let me explain what BV is. Proteins are made up of smaller components called amino acids (AAs). Now, there are many of these amino acids found in nature, some essential, some non-essential; Essential, that is, those that must always be present in the food you eat. The better the ratio of these essential and non-essential amino acids in a protein, the higher the biological value, meaning more is likely to be absorbed and actually used for muscle anabolism (growth). Whey protein, in addition, as numerous studies show, has been claimed to contain immunoglobulins (antibodies) that enhance your immune function.
Whey Production
Whey protein is a byproduct of the cheese industry. However, this whey byproduct contains large amounts of fat and lactose (milk sugar). Therefore, separating the protein from the other constituents requires procedures such as microfiltration. Therefore, the associated cost. Now this microfiltered and purified whey protein is available as a concentrate or isolate.
What kind of serum?
The main difference between the two is the % protein available per serving, isolate contains 90-94% protein while concentrate contains 70-85% whey protein. Another difference is that isolate is purer, while concentrate tends to contain more fat and sugar per serving. However, that does not make isolate a better alternative. The choice between the two really depends on your goals and other circumstances.
Whey isolate is a great source of protein, but it tends to be a bit more expensive than concentrate. In addition, components that impart immune-boosting properties, such as alpha-lactoglobulins and lactoferrins, are removed during processing and filtering. Therefore, whey isolate is not as good if you are overtraining. Having said that, I really wouldn’t worry about what kind of buttermilk I’m consuming. However, considerations of cost, taste, mixability of the powder, etc. should be the key points to help you make a decision. Once you are sure, if you feel bloated, concentrate is definitely not for you.
Lies that supplement companies sell us
The Internet is a great way to sell lies, period. I have been a writer for too long. And I have been writing reviews of products like heart rate monitors and supplements. And to be fair, I have never used 90% of the products I have written reviews for.
Now suppose you were a supplement manufacturer. How would you promote your product online? All you have to do is design a website with search engine optimization. Then get some people like me to write reviews and post them all over the web, including Amazon and eBay. That done, when someone is looking to buy, say, a fat loss supplement, they will type the term into a search engine. Obviously, he/she would come across your website because you have optimized it for search. So the person, before deciding, will want to read reviews. And bingo! You have great reviews about the product instead. So, the person ends up buying those things.
Before you buy a supplement, always check to see if the person advertising it has any interest in the company. There is always a bias! They always make ridiculous claims like gaining 22lbs in a few weeks…or reducing my body fat by 4% in any given week.
For me, the best strategy a person looking to get in shape has is to train smart, train hard, and eat natural.
Protein Nutrition
I am a big believer in keeping things natural and simple, training hard and having fun. In general, you should look to consume protein in snacks throughout the day. Chicken, egg whites, fish, lean meat, whey isolate or concentrate… it really doesn’t matter. The only advantage that supplements offer is the ease of preparation compared to a meal. Again, they are much cheaper in the long run compared to buying raw fish or chicken breast for most days of a month.
I myself use whey protein only in the mornings when I mix a couple of scoops of whey into my oatmeal porridge and ground flaxseed. And sometimes I do it in the middle of the night too. But, the rest of the day, mainly as natural protein. So, it’s either chicken breast, lean red meat, or salmon, tuna, etc (I tend to eat everything under the sun!).