So whats the reason for all the hype about Whey powder ?
Firstly the basics – Whey is whats left over when cows milk is coagulated during the process of making cheese. Cows milk is made up of 80% casein and 20% whey protein – and as a comparison, human milk is like around 60% whey and 40% casein.
Whey is typically taken as a dry powder mixed into water, and you can buy it in three different forms.
1. Firstly, a Concentrate form (whey protein concentrate, or WPC), or,
2. An Isolate form (whey protein isolate, or WPI), and,
3. A Hydrosolate (WPH) form.
The isolate form removes fat, most of the lactose, and is high in its protein percentage (i.e. like >90%).
The concentrate form, is the cheapest form, still has all the lactose, and has the lowest percentage of proteins, relative to the hydrolysate or isolate form.
One note to look for across your Whey Proteins is, the additional inclusion of sugar (sucrose, fructose), sugar alcohols and in some cases even gluten. Each of these ingredients can have detrimental effects on the gut and absorption. Look for a clean Whey Protein Isolate, ideally with no added sugar, zero sugar alcohols or gluten.
What can it do for Athletes?
1. Whey protein is well recognized as a strong stimulant to protein synthesis in the body – hence there use in elite athletes to support rapid recovery from intensive exercise. In one study on marathoners (1) post marathon testing showed significantly lower biochemical markers associated with inflammation and muscle tissue damage. In another random controlled study (2), it was shown that pre-sleep protein (whey) ingestion increases both mitochondrial and myofibrillar (muscle tissue) protein synthesis rates, during overnight sleep-recovery.
2. There is one action of whey that in recent times has received its fair share of research – and that’s the effect of whey protein on glutathione levels. Glutathione is like the master anti-oxidant. It’s produced endogenously (inside) the body, and it not only has very strong anti-oxidant capability – it can help recycle antioxidants. One study (3) demonstrated whey protein isolate could increase intracellular glutathione levels by 64%. Whey protein includes a broad array of branch chain amino acids – including the key three, that matter most for glutathione production, being, cysteine, glycine and glutamate. In addition whey includes alpha-lactalbumin (high in cysteine), immunoglobulins and other factors which create the right setting for glutathione action.
How much Protein to take?
The current guidance from the The American College of Sports Medicine and the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine recommend physically active people should consume between 1.2–1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. Being consistent with this amount of protein intake takes some focused eating and drinking. Athletes should mix the intake of protein across the diet, including eggs, beef, fish, chicken, pork, cheese and protein shakes. A typical protein shake deliver 15-40Grams of protein - making it a very time-efficient method to get your daily protein in.
SFuels REVIVAL contains 19Gr whey protein isolate, plus 5Gr Glutamine and 6Gr of Ketone BHB for optimal post-workout recovery, and consistent training blocks.
Check it out here: SFuels REVIVAL
References
1.Whey Protein Improves Marathon-Induced Injury and Exercise Performance in Elite Track Runners. Huang W C et al. Jun, 2022
2.Pre-sleep Protein Ingestion Increases Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis Rates During Overnight Recovery from Endurance Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Trommelen J et al. Feb, 2023
3. Effect of whey protein isolate on intracellular glutathione and oxidant-induced cell death in human prostate epithelial cells. Kent K D et al. Feb 2003
4. Glutathione: The Mother of All Antioxidants. Hyman, Mark. Apr, 2013.