DOES WHEY PROTEIN WORK?
So, you’ve begun a muscle building or fat burning program and you’re looking for some basic supplements to give you an extra edge both in and out of the gym?
If so, you’ve certainly heard about whey protein by now.
Technically, whey protein isn’t even really a “supplement” at all; it’s a completely natural form of protein that is extracted from milk.
In reality, whey is more like a “convenient food product” as it’s really no different from consuming regular fitness-foods like chicken breast or fish. The only real difference is its convenient powdered form.
But does whey protein work? Why is it so popular?
To put it simply, yes, whey protein “works” and it should probably be included in most serious gym-goers diet plans.
What makes it so effective in helping you build lean muscle and burn fat?
Well, protein itself is the single most important macronutrient for those who are looking to improve their body composition.
It plays the central role of building and repairing muscle in between workouts, and it also has the highest thermic effect of any nutrient, which causes your body to burn more calories throughout the day as heat energy.
For the very best results, you should be aiming to consume about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily.
However, not all protein sources are created equally. Some are very high quality, and some are very low quality.
Fueling your diet with a steady stream of high quality protein should be the central goal of your entire dieting approach, and whey protein is the highest quality source you can possibly consume.
There are a wide variety of reasons for this, but here are the main ones you should know about if you’re asking the question “does whey protein work”…
Bio-Availability: Whey is the single most absorbable form of protein found in nature and is ranked #1 on the “biological value scale” which ranks proteins based on the total % that is actually utilized by your body.
For example, chicken has a BV ranking of about 79, meaning that 79% of the total protein content is used by your body. Fish sits at around 70, while beef is ranked at about 69.
Whey protein has a BV ranking of nearly 100, meaning that your body will digest, absorb and utilize virtually all of the protein consumed.
BCAA Content: The individual building blocks of protein are known as “amino acids”, and some are more effective at stimulating lean muscle growth than others.
The most valuable of these are the “branched chain amino acids”: l-leucine, l-valine and l-isoleucine, with l-leucine being of primary importance. In fact, l-leucine is often considered as thecentral amino acid involved in supporting muscle protein synthesis.
Whey protein delivers the most concentrated dose of BCAA’s of any protein source out there, with around 4-6 grams in every single scoop.
Fat Burning Properties: On top of its muscle building properties, whey can actually help you shed fat at a faster rate as well.
It accomplishes this by increasing beta oxidation (fat burning) during weight training and cardio sessions, regulating appetite (by simultaneously raising CCK secretion and inhibiting grehlin output) and balancing mood and energy levels during periods of decreased calorie intake.
Convenience: Whey is not only the highest quality protein source out there, but it’s also the most convenient as well. Just toss 1-2 scoops into some milk, juice or water and you’ll have yourself a maximum quality source of protein that you can consume in just seconds.
Whey protein can be used to blend up a huge variety of great-tasting smoothies, or it can be used in a ton of different food recipes as well. For those who are consuming 4-6 meals per day and who have higher protein intakes, whey is a fantastic way to streamline your overall diet.
– Sean
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