This morning started off like any other. Wake up, drink my healthy home-made, organic protein drink, work out, have breakfast, go to work, the usual. Little did I know that I would have the pleasure of speaking to an old friend I hadn’t spoken to in a long time. To my surprise, I received his phone call out of the blue. We were excited to catch up on old times, discuss our current lives, jobs and a lot of other things that are not quite relevant to the instant topic of discussion. So let me cut straight to the relevant portion of our conversation. When I asked him what he was up to besides work, he responded that he had started going to a Gym to build his muscles. I was shocked on hearing that because he used to be that guy who didn't want to do any kind of workout even by mistake. In the beginning, I thought he was kidding. So I started asking him questions like what his Gym was called, how much they charged, where it was, etc. The way he answered my questions made me believe that he was not bluffing, but that didn't stop me from questioning him. I wanted to make sure that he didn't take the shortcut blinded by his desire for building muscles. So I asked him if his trainer had advised him to take any fat-burners or steroids. He said, “No, but they have asked me to take Whey protein”. I felt relieved because 90% of the Gyms in my city advise their clients to take fat-burners and steroids to get quick results and I didn't want my friend to put rubbish like that in his body. I have noticed that most people take them because they want to take the SHORTCUT and they expect QUICK RESULTS.
The next question I shot at him was, “What Whey are you taking?” because I wanted to know whether he knew what was going inside his body and whether it was good or bad for him; or if he was taking it simply because his trainer had advised him to take it. As expected, he didn't have a clue what Whey was. He had no idea if it was Whey concentrate or isolate. He said his trainer had given him a big box of supplement and asked him to take it and he was following that. I then started explaining to him what Whey protein was and what made it special. But he didn't have time to continue the conversation because he was speaking from his office. So he asked me to explain and send it as an e-mail and he told me that he would read about it when he got the time. So I figured, why not blog about it instead so a greater number of people can benefit from the information I provide?
Before I share my knowledge about Whey protein, I want to make it abundantly clear that I'm not any kind of Nutritionist or Scholar in respect of Diet supplements. I'm only hereby sharing the knowledge that I gained either from somebody or from a book or the internet.
So, what is Whey protein?
It is a type of protein that is naturally found in milk. When mixed with Rennet, milk gets separated into 2 constituents.
1. Whey in its liquid form.
2. Left over that is often used to make cheese and casein.
The liquid Whey is then pasteurized and dried out to create that powdery product that we commonly see on supplement store shelves, “WHEY”.
What is in Whey that makes it so special?
Obviously, protein. And it also contains amino acids that contain
- Glutamine
- Tyrosine
- Arginine
- Lysine
- Glycine
- Phenylalanine
- Aspartic acid
In terms of building muscles, it also contains BCAA.
B - Branches
C - Chain
A - Amino
A - Acids
BCAA is largely comprised of Leucine. When our body is paired with weight training, it improves Muscle Protein Synthesis. Containing about 3g of Leucine per serving, Whey protein definitely improves muscle growth. The following amino acids in Whey form a large peptide which serves more health benefits.
- Immunoglobins
- Lactoferrin
These 2 improve the immune system as well as have anti - cancer and anti - aging effects.
Is Whey 100% protein?
No, Whey is basically a dairy source. It naturally contains Fat and sugar Lactose. But there are several processes which can separate protein from fat and lactose. The problem is, some of the most intense separation processes like
- Ion exchange &
- Hydrolysate
tend to denature the protein, losing its added health benefits. This is done merely for the sake of making it predominantly protein and to make it easier to digest.
What are the types of Whey?
- Whey concentrate
- Whey isolate
Whey concentrate has 80% Protein and the rest of it is Fat and Lactose. Lactose serves as an energy source. People who are not Lactose intolerant can take Whey concentrate.
Whey isolate is generally prescribed for those who are lactose intolerant. It has 90% Protein with limited denaturation and little or no Lactose. Both these powders will have added flavor, which means, it contains added sugar.
Should I take Whey protein?
It totally depends on the diet you follow. If you are someone who wants to lose weight and gain muscles, then Whey Protein might help you. But if you're getting enough Protein from your regular diet, you don't need to depend on any Protein supplement.
Feel free to share your thoughts on Whey Protein in the comments below and also tell me why you do/don't take Whey protein.
Parkourpaiyan
