Ahh... behold the power...
If you exercise or lift weights, at one point or another you’ve probably heard someone yammering about whey protein benefits and why it’s crucial that you be downing those shakes! There has to be some truth to what those muscle-bound lunks in the weight room are talking about, but don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you’ll end up looking like them.
Well, is it really worth it? Are there any real benefits? Actually, there are some great benefits to whey protein and what it can do for your overall health besides just your muscles. Here, I’ll discuss what whey protein really is, what it can do for you, and if there are any real side effects to worry about.
Whey Protein Is Actually More Than 1 Single Protein
Even though whey protein sounds like a singular thing, it’s actually a collective group of proteins that are found in milk and is a by-product when milk is used to make cheese. These proteins include:
- Beta-lactoglobulin – This one makes up about half of all protein found in whey protein and helps to prevent from muscles breaking down and preserve glycogen when exercising.
- Alpha-lactalbumin – This can increase serotonin, regulate your sleeping habits, and stabilize your mood in stressful situations.
- Glycomacropeptide (GMP) – Research done on this protein have shown to possibly fight against dental plaque.
- Immunoglobulins – These are made by your immune system to fight antigens.
- Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA)
- Lactoferrin – This can fight the growth of bacteria and fungi.
- Lactoperoxidase – This can act as an antibacterial agent.
- Lysozyme – Helps the immune system
Types Of Whey Protein
Whey protein powders usually fall into 3 types
- Whey protein concentrate
- Whey protein isolate
- Whey protein blend
Whey protein concentrate has about 75% pure protein value, but it contains a lot of other natural by-product nutrients as well. Since it contains the most fat and lactose of the 3 types, it’s usually the cheapest. The fat and lactose won’t ruin your exercise or anything, but frequent drinkers have reported it making them feel bloated.
Whey protein isolate is highly processed to remove carbs, fat, and lactose and contains about 90% pure protein per serving, so they can be pretty expensive, but they provide an exceptional amount of protein in only one sitting.
Blends are simply a combination of the two, and are created to combine more natural nutrients of concentrates and more protein value of isolates while reducing the cost for consumers.
I’ve said before that I get cheap stuff from Rite Aid, but I switched over to Opimum Nutrition Whey Gold Standard. You can really have any kind that you like, but it would be best to go for something that… tastes good. (It’s hard to find one that isn’t downright nasty!)
Whey Protein Benefits
Most people know that whey protein is important for maintaining existing muscles and here are a number of other exercise-related things that whey protein can help with:
- Grows new lean muscle tissue
- Repairs muscle faster leading to shorter recovery time required
- Breakdown of muscles post-workout is reduced
- Increases your metabolism!
I hope you noticed that last bullet. Boom! Drinking whey protein is another trick to help your body lose more body fat especially when you’re trying to cut your calories way down like the progressive Eat Stop Eat diet.
One of the main concerns with whey protein is whether or not it actually does anything to increase muscle size or strength. Fortunately there are at least a few studies testing this issue. One of these studies, The Effects Of Protein And Amino Acid Supplementation On Performance And Training Adaptations During Ten Weeks Of Resistance Training, took 36 males between the ages of 20 and 40 and broke them into 3 groups, one taking carbohydrate placebos, another taking whey protein and casein, and another taking whey protein, some other branched-chain amino acids, and L-glutamine. The study found that the whey and casein group gained the most lean mass over the 10 week period.
In this study, the combination of whey and casein protein promoted the greatest increases in fat-free mass after 10 weeks of heavy resistance training. Athletes, coaches, and nutritionists can use these findings to increase fat-free mass and to improve body composition during resistance training.
But here are even more researched whey protein effects that most people don’t know about:
- May reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke
- Increases bodily antioxidants
- Stabilizes blood sugar levels
- Builds strong bones
- Some studies suggest that it may even reduce the risk of contracting certain cancers
And even though men are the primary consumers of whey protein powders, the benefits that apply to men for consuming whey protein are the same whey protein benefits for women. You’ll still increase your metabolism, increase lean muscle mass, and improve your muscle recovery time.
You won’t turn into an ugly bulky monster like you may be thinking! Women that grow large muscles for competitions use additional hormones and supplements that you won’t find in just ordinary whey protein so you can relax.
Contrary To What You Heard, There Are No Real Whey Protein Side Effects
You’ll be happy to know that ingesting whey protein has no proven direct side effects. There are however, cautionary warnings that you should follow when choosing whey protein to improve your personal muscle growth.
- Whey protein is made from milk, so those who are lactose-intolerant should take the same precautions as consuming anything with dairy.
- At the max, consume 1g of protein per 1lb of lean body weight (muscles, bones, organs, and water) per day to avoid over-consumption.
Is It Worth It To Supplement Whey Protein?
In my personal opinion, adding whey protein to your diet is a great idea. You don’t have to worry about bulking up if you just have protein shakes because it’s not until you start taking steroids or crazy hormones that you’ll start seeing freakish muscle size.
And the only reason there would ever be a side effect is from either a milk allergy or taking way more than your kidneys can actually handle. Overall, whey protein is very healthy and a great supplement for faster muscle size and strength increases.
