What is whey protein?

Whey protein is one of the two types of protein found in cow's milk.

Milk is approximately 87% water and 13% milk solids. The milk

solids are comprised of fat, lactose, protein and a small amount of

other minerals. The protein portion of the milk solids is

approximately 80% casein protein and 20% whey protein.

Whey protein is much more quickly digested by the human body than

casein protein and it has a higher biological value, which makes it

the most nutritious protein available.

Where does whey protein come from?

As mentioned above, whey protein comes from cow's milk. To make

whey protein supplements, the whey protein is separated from the fat

and lactose, using one of several methods in order to create a

powder of concentrated whey protein.

What is whey protein isolate?

Whey protein isolate is a more expensive form of whey protein. Whey

protein isolate contains 90% or more protein and very little fat

compared to whey protein concentrate, which could contain between

29% and 89% protein. The difference between the two types of whey

protein is that whey protein isolate comes from a longer and more

complicated filtering process.

How is whey protein made?

Ion exchange is one method used to make whey protein. When the

casein or curd and milk fat are separated from milk in order to make

cheese, the remaining liquid whey goes through a series of filters to

separate the whey protein from lactose and other ingredients. This

concentrated liquid whey then enters an ion exchange vessel, which

then uses electrical charges to purify the whey protein. The purified

whey protein is then dried to remove moisture.

Why is whey protein so popular?

Whey protein is extremely popular among bodybuilders for several

reasons. The biggest reason is because whey protein is the most

complete, and most quickly digested protein available. It has the

highest biological value and contains branched chain amino acids,

which are critical in building muscle mass. The second reason why

we protein is so popular is because compared with other proteins, it

is much less expensive.

Who can benefit from supplementing with whey protein?

Anyone involved in sports activities, especially bodybuilding, will

benefit greatly from supplementing properly with whey protein. In

addition to supplying the body with all the essential and nonessential

amino acids, whey protein is especially rich in naturally occurring

branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine). These

particular amino acids are used directly by skeletal muscles, and

therefore are in great demand during exercise or strenuous sports

activities.

How much whey protein should I take?

The total amount of protein from all sources you should take each

day is between 1 and 1.5 g of protein per pound of body weight. This

means a 200 pound bodybuilder, should be consuming 200 to 300 g

of protein each day. This amount should be divided up into at least 5

or 6 feedings. At least two or three of these feedings should consist

of protein from animal sources such as beef, seafood, poultry and

dairy products. The remaining feedings can consist of protein

shakes made with whey protein. If your goal is in the middle of the

range, and each feeding should consist of 40 to 50 g of protein.

Most whey protein supplements in powder form provide 20 to 24 g of

protein per serving. Most whey protein supplements also come with

a scoop that is equal to one serving, therefore, each shake should

consist of two scoops of whey protein.