All About Whey Protein
What is it?
Milk is made of two proteins, casein and whey. Whey can be separated from the casein in milk or formed as a byproduct of cheese making.
Whey digests quickly and is rich in branched-chain amino acids. Leucine, one of these BCAAs, plays a major role in promoting muscle growth and recovery after resistance training.
Studies reveal that whey protein can help build and maintain muscle mass, assist athletes with recovery from heavy exercise and increase muscle strength in response to strength training.
Benefits
- Convenient source of high-quality protein
- Promotes muscle growth
- Highly satiating which may help reduce hunger
- Can help you lose body fat
- Can help curb cravings
Dose
There are many factors that may affect a persons protein needs on top of training. For example: A person in a physically demanding job will need more protein than a sedentary job.
Though it's hard to give exact figures due to conflicting study results, a good goal to aim for is a daily intake of 1.5-2.2g/kg bodyweight (0.68-1g/lb bodyweight).
If daily protein targets are achieved through dietary protein alone, supplementation is unnecessary.
Obese individuals should not follow the above recommendations, as bodyweight calculations would result in very high dosages. Instead, calculate protein targets based off of your lean mass or your goal weight.
Side effects
Whey protein is safe and many people take it without any adverse effects. However, it may cause some digestive symptoms in those with lactose intolerance, and those allergic to cow’s milk may be allergic to it.
If you experience side effects, try a whey protein isolate or non-dairy protein alternative.
