Sports Supplements

Your Protein Primer

This week I wanted to put up a response to a commonly asked question – What is the difference between whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate? Many people don’t even recognise the distinction, but the difference can have a huge effect on the success of your workouts.
Protein shakes have enormous benefits for anyone on a training schedule. Having a protein shake following a workout is something that cannot be duplicated with whole food. Liquid protein gets into your system faster because it doesn’t require mechanical digestion and there’s a minimal need for chemical digestion.
The best type of protein powder for this situation is whey protein isolate. Because of its purity and concentration, it provides a powerful dose of amino acids to your hungry muscle tissue so it can repair quickly and effectively following periods of strain. But it’s important to always check the nutritional information of your protein shake to discover exactly what type of whey you’re getting and in what concentration.

What is Whey?

Milk protein is 20% whey. Whey is by far the most popular protein choice, perhaps because it is so cheap. Whey protein contains large amounts of branched-chain amino acids as well as the full spectrum of amino acids. Compared to the other proteins on the market, whey is one of the fastest digesting proteins ( isolate > concentrate).

Whey Protein Concentrate vs. Whey Protein Isolate

Protein concentrates. Protein concentrates are created by pushing the protein source (milk, whey, etc.) through a very small filter that allows water, minerals, and other organic materials to pass through. The proteins, which are too big to pass through the filter, are collected, resulting in protein powder. When this process is used to make whey protein concentrate, it yields a protein powder that is 70-80% protein and up to 5% lactose. People with lactose intolerance will have trouble consuming large amounts of whey protein concentrate.
Protein isolates. This is the next step up in purification; the protein is purified again using more filtration or a technique called ion-exchange or cross-flow microfiltration. Protein isolates have very low levels of carbohydrates and fat and are almost exclusively pure protein. People with lactose intolerance usually don’t have trouble with whey protein isolates. Many companies that make whey protein isolates will certify that their product is lactose-free or they add lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose) to the protein powder to help with digestion.
Bio-Synergy Whey Better protein shakes are made with whey protein isolate at the incredible concentration of 87% per serving, making it the highest-quality and most concentrated whey protein shake available in the UK. Stop by www.bio-synergy.co.uk to learn more about getting the best for your body.