Okay, so you’ve read or heard about a great supplement that will help you build staggering amounts of lean muscle in a matter of weeks. And it’s called whey protein. So which type do you choose? Isolate or concentrate. How much should you eat in a day?

As for the amount to take in a day, they 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 weigh 100 kg, you will have to consume about 200 g according to the first group of people, while according to the second estimate, you will have to consume a whopping 440-880 g of whey protein. That’s a waste of protein and more importantly, your hard-earned money. The human body has a tendency to shed any excess nutrients it takes in. So eating that much protein is like throwing your money down the drain.

Before, we discussed 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 protein from milk. Besides casein, another protein that makes milk so crucial for growth is whey. Ok I have it! So why is it so important to building muscle and why is everyone talking about it? Well, one thing is for sure that it has a very high biological value (BV). Now, without making things too complicated, let me explain what BV is. Proteins are made up of smaller components called amino acids (AA). Now, there are many of these amino acids found in nature, some essential, some non-essential; that is, essential those that must always be present in the food you eat. The higher the ratio of these essential and non-essential amino acids in a protein, the higher the biological value, which means that it is more likely to be absorbed and actually used for muscle anabolism (growth). Additionally, whey protein has been claimed, as shown by numerous studies, to contain immunoglobulins (antibodies) that enhance your immune function.

Whey production

Whey protein is a by-product of the cheese industry. This by-product of whey, however, contains large amounts of fat and lactose (milk sugar). Therefore, procedures such as microfiltration are required to separate the protein from the other constituents. Hence, the associated cost. Now this purified, microfiltered 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, the isolate contains 90-94% protein while the 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 doesn’t make isolating 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. Additionally, components that impart immunostimulating properties such as alpha lactoglobulins and lactoferrins are removed during processing and filtering. Therefore, whey isolate is not so good if you train excessively. Having said that, I really wouldn’t be concerned about the type of serum I’m consuming. However, considerations of cost, taste, powder mixability, etc. they should be the key points to help you make a decision. Once the thing is for sure, if you’re feeling bloated, the concentrate is definitely not for you.

Lies that supplement companies sell us

The internet is a great way to sell lies, period. I’ve been a writer for too long. And I’ve been writing reviews for products like heart rate monitors and supplements. And to be fair, I’ve never used 90% of the products I’ve written reviews for.

Now suppose you are a supplement manufacturer. How would you promote your product online? All you have to do is design a website with search engine optimization. Next, have a few people like me write reviews and post them all over the web, including Amazon and eBay. Once that’s done, when someone is looking to buy, say, a fat loss supplement, they type the term into a search engine. Obviously, it would come across your website because you’ve optimized it for search. So the person, before making a decision, will want to read reviews. And bingo! It has excellent reviews on the product. So the person ends up buying those things.

Before buying a supplement, always check to see if the person who advertises it has any interest in the company. There is always a bias! They always make ridiculous claims like gaining 10kg in a few weeks … or reducing my body fat by 4% in any one week.

For me, the best strategy for a person looking to get fit is to train smart, train hard, and eat naturally.

Protein nutrition

I strongly believe in keeping things natural and simple, training hard, and having fun. Generally, you should aim to snack on protein throughout the day. Chicken, egg whites, fish, lean meats, whey isolate or concentrate … it really doesn’t matter. The only advantage supplements offer is ease of preparation compared to a meal. Again, they are much cheaper in the long run compared to buying raw fish or chicken breast on most days of the month.

I myself use whey protein only in the morning when I mix a couple of tablespoons of whey with my oatmeal and ground flaxseed porridge. And sometimes I also do that in the middle of the night. But, the rest of the day, mainly as natural proteins. So it is chicken breast, lean red meat or salmon, tuna, etc. (I tend to eat everything under the sun!).