WHEY PROTEIN: THE BEST FITNESS SUPPLEMENT
Whey protein is considered to be among the best protein powders in the world, and for good reason. It also is the most studied protein supplement as it has a very high nutritional value and numerous scientifically proven health benefits.
Not all protein powders are formulated or created equal, as a matter of fact, whey protein is considered better than others. It contains an incredible array of essential amino acids, which are absorbed by your body quickly. Studies have shown that it can help you increase overall body strength, gain muscle, and lose significant amounts of body fat. However, whey is considered more than just a protein. It contains many other nutrients, some with potent and drastic biological effects.
WHAT IS WHEY PROTEIN?
Whey protein is essentially a mixture of proteins extracted from whey, which is the liquid part of milk that gets separated during cheese production processes. All cheese-making processes include separating milk into curds and whey. So whey is actually a byproduct of cheese production and is extracted in a liquid state, to put it precisely.
The whey protein powder or supplement is made by extracting dairy proteins from the whey liquid, essentially to convert it into a more portable form. As a result, whey protein helps preserve some of the most important health benefits of milk that would generally be lost during the cheese-making process.
Milk contains two main types of proteins: casein and whey in 80% and 20% ratios respectively. Fun fact, that liquid floating on top of your yogurt when you open a fresh pack – that’s whey. Earlier, cheesemakers used to discard this liquid, and later on, they discovered the commercial and biological value of it.
After being separated during the cheese production, whey goes through multiple processing steps to become what people generally recognize as the best protein ever, whey protein powder, which is then added to shakes, supplements, and protein bars. This powder or supplement doesn’t actually taste great on its own, which is why it’s usually flavored.
The most popular and best protein powder flavors are Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry which are obviously the most preferable whey protein flavors as well. It’s always important to read the ingredients list of any protein powder you buy, as some products may have unhealthy additives like refined sugar.
Consistently taking whey protein in your diet is a convenient way to add ample amounts of protein to your daily intake. This is considered especially important for bodybuilders and gym enthusiasts, as well as people who are dedicated to losing weight or are simply lacking protein in their diets. Most flavored whey proteins are also really tasty and can be used to add deliciousness to healthy recipes like smoothies.
One of the tastiest whey protein powders that we can recommend is VOGPRO because it quite literally tastes like hot chocolate! VOGPRO really is one of the best protein powders out there.
BENEFITS OF CONSISTENTLY TAKING WHEY PROTEIN
Proteins are considered to be the main and basic building blocks of our body. They’re used to make various important elements like muscle tendons, organs and skin, hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and various other molecules. Therefore your protein intake defines your body’s strength, ability to recover and build.
Here are some of the benefits of taking whey protein:
- Enhances Athletic performance
Most research in healthy young adults who strength train shows that taking whey protein helps increase muscle mass and strength. Taking whey protein also has proven to improve running speed and recovery faster recovery from exercise in adults who don’t weight train. It seems to work better than soy, chicken, or beef (natural sources of protein) for considerably increasing muscle strength.
- Aids weight loss
Taking your favorite whey protein supplement is a great way to boost your protein intake, which is supposed to have a major inclination towards active weight loss. Studies have shown that replacing other sources of unhealthy calories with the best whey protein supplement, combined with consistent exercising schedules, can cause weight loss while increasing lean muscle mass.
- Reduces Inflammation
Inflammation is a sign of your body’s response to damage. Short-term inflammation is considered beneficial, but under certain circumstances, it may become chronic. Chronic inflammation can be harmful and can be a cause of many diseases. It may be a reflection of underlying health problems or bad lifestyle habits. A review study found that medium to high doses of whey protein supplements significantly helps in reducing inflammation.
- Great for growing kids
Research has shown that infants who consume whey protein at early stages in their life, mainly from being 3-12 months old are less likely to be prone to allergies and allergic reactions compared to infants who consume standard formulations of baby food. Taking protein as a growing child also helps in proper muscle building and increased productivity levels, since protein is an essential part of growth.
- Increases Muscle Growth
Muscle mass is an important indicator of general wellness. Whether you would like to maintain or increase your muscle mass, protein becomes critical to the process. It provides the amino acids your body needs to rebuild damaged muscle tissues and create new muscles. Whey protein has been shown to promote healthy and strong muscles more effectively compared to plant-based protein supplements.
- Easy Digestion
The easier the protein is to digest the more you allow your body to absorb amino acids in the most efficient way. With no surprise, the protein that has the easiest digestion process is whey. Whey protein is quickly digested, causing a rapid rise in amino acids that helps increase muscle mass and strength. Thus this protein becomes a great option for aging adults since they face trouble digesting usually almost all foods they consume. If you are an aging patient looking for a protein supplement to amp up your nutrient absorption, you should really consider whey.
IS WHEY PROTEIN BETTER THAN PLANT-BASED PROTEIN?
Animal-based proteins like whey protein always have a higher biological value than other plant-based proteins, which means that they contain enough amino acids to build and form all the proteins your body may need.
The protein found in whey is of exceptionally high quality because it’s loaded with amino acids. In fact, whey proteins are generally called complete proteins because they contain all nine essential amino acids, known as the building blocks that your body can’t produce on its own. Your body needs all of these essential compounds to build muscle and promote easy recovery, particularly after an extensive and rough workout.
Also, whey protein is especially high in leucine which is the most important amino acid required for the muscle-building process, and cysteine, which helps in supporting muscle growth and activating metabolism.
Just like whey protein, plant-based proteins also have similar beneficial effects on your body and help boost energy production at a cellular level to support protein synthesis. They contain key amino acids that help boost energy levels in your cells to help you stay charged during workout sessions and repairing your muscles after those sessions.
However, most plant proteins are not considered complete proteins, meaning, they don’t contain optimal levels of all the essential amino acids like whey protein does for supporting protein synthesis. Research has shown that some plant proteins are often low in key amino acids. Thus whey protein substantially beats plant-based proteins. Now let’s talk about the best whey protein supplements.
BEST WHEY PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS
- VOGPRO by Voguewellness – rich chocolate flavor
- Optimum Nutrition(ON) 100% Whey Gold Standard
- MuscleBlaze Raw Whey Protein
- AS-IT-IS Nutrition Whey Protein
- Isopure Low Carb Whey Protein
- Dymatize Nutrition Elite Whey Protein Powder
These whey proteins offer quality verified at optimum standards and really are the best whey protein supplements in the market and might just be a great place for you to start exploring. Are you ready to get your protein game on?