I'm shopping around for a good, efficient yet economical whey protein. I'm noticing some say whey isolate and some say whey concentrate and I'm wondering if there is any difference I should be wary of? Pros and cons of each?
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Whey isolate vs Whey concentrate
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Warboss Alex
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Briefly,
Whey isolate: very pure form of protein, absorbs very quickly, minimal levels of carbs (lactose) and fat, more expensive
Whey concentrate: less pure, absorbs quickly but not as quick as isolate, more lactose and fat, cheaper, can produce an undesired insulin response in some people
If the budget is strict then whey concentrate will do the job fine, provided it doesn't give you any problems (people who are lactose intolerant may have stomach issues with whey conc). However if you can afford whey isolate I would go for it, as I feel it is a superior protein - that said, as a beginner you won't notice the difference really.
As for brands you simply have to choose one that meets your budget, but also your taste (you have to like your protein shakes otherwise you won't drink them!) and doesn't give you any problems (some people have problems with certain sweeteners of certain brands, etc).
Whey isolate: very pure form of protein, absorbs very quickly, minimal levels of carbs (lactose) and fat, more expensive
Whey concentrate: less pure, absorbs quickly but not as quick as isolate, more lactose and fat, cheaper, can produce an undesired insulin response in some people
If the budget is strict then whey concentrate will do the job fine, provided it doesn't give you any problems (people who are lactose intolerant may have stomach issues with whey conc). However if you can afford whey isolate I would go for it, as I feel it is a superior protein - that said, as a beginner you won't notice the difference really.
As for brands you simply have to choose one that meets your budget, but also your taste (you have to like your protein shakes otherwise you won't drink them!) and doesn't give you any problems (some people have problems with certain sweeteners of certain brands, etc).
smooth guy
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Btw does it make much of a difference if it's 90% or 100% pure protein?
I couldn't find 100%...but I picked the right one (whey isolate). Pretty good stuff, but damn expensive. Tastes great almost like a real milkshake if you drink it with milk
. But I guess that depends on the brand.
I couldn't find 100%...but I picked the right one (whey isolate). Pretty good stuff, but damn expensive. Tastes great almost like a real milkshake if you drink it with milk
. But I guess that depends on the brand.Warboss Alex
Master Don Juan
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90-94% is the norm for commercial isolates and they are fine.
That's the only protein I use. I use the CFM Whey Protein Isolate.
Mine is Protein, Vanilla flavoring and splenda and that is IT, with the exception of Aminogen in the mix.
This is the only thing I have used for years. Yes its expensive and I pay about $10.50-$11 a pound. Mines the real deal too, and not some fake protein that claims to be a real CFM Isolate (yes it exists and companies mask and change wording so you believe its what you are getting, but it isn't)
Mine contains 0g carbs, 0g fat and 27g protein per 1/3C
Whey Conc is the best form for you if you are on a budget and usually runs about $5/lb
Little fat and carbs and less protein per serving.
1/3C CFM= 90% protein per serving
1/3C Whey Conc= 69% protein per serving
These are all basic and companies will vary a hair depending on what they include in their mix. This is why I mentioned in the other thread about how all those other proteins.. BSN stuff, etc etc were pure junk. Read the label.
For instance the thread I talked about, Interceptor said good proteins were...
BSN's Syntha 6
Cytosport Muscle Milk
Muscletech Nitrotech
Wellements Pro Blend 55
VPX Zero Impact
VPX NitronX
MHP Probolic
Labrada ProV 60
I pointed out that he was wrong, and he laughed when I told him I hated to rain on his parade, yet I never got an answer as to why he was correct and I was wrong.
Wasn't a mudslinging contest, but a question to him as to WHY those were good choices for a protein. I didn't get a response, but i'll tell you why.
Who ever reads this, PAY ATTENTION and you'll be smarter than the next guy/kid at your gym who tells you that you should go out and buy Nitro Tech.
Here is what people fail to realize when they are picking their protein.
You want a PROTEIN powder right? Just like if you want a bowl of ice cream, you want that, and not nuts, whipped cream, a cherry, bananas, etc etc. Hey... I asked for ICE CREAM ONLY.
So what's wrong with those proteins you asked?
Lets break down BSN's Syntha 6 protein as an example...
A Sustained Release Ultra-Premium Protein Matrix Comprised Of (Ultrafiltered Whey Protein Concentrate [Milk] Rich In Alpha Lactalbumin, Microfiltered Whey Protein Isolate [Milk] Rich In Whey Isolate Peptide Fractions, Calcium Caseinate, Micellar Alpha And Beta Caseins And Caseinates [Milk], Milk Protein Isolate [Milk], Egg Albumin [Egg], Glutamine Peptides), Richmix Sunflower Powder Consisting Of (Sunflower Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Sodium Caseinate [Milk], Mono-Glycerides, Di-Glycerides, And Dipotassium Phosphate), Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder, Litesse®II Polydextrose, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Nutrisperse MCT Powder Consisting Of (Medium Chain Triglycerides, Nonfat Dry Milk, Di-Sodium Phosphate, Silicon Dioxide), Ticalose® Cellulose Gum, Sucralose , Acesulfame Potassium, Lecithin [Soy], Aminogen®, Papain
What in the hell is all of that garbage in there? Yeah, you have a blend of proteins, but so what, its 22g per scoop, so you know what that blend looks like? Yeah, not very good.
MCT powder? Come on... And Cellulose Gum? What the heck for? Oh yeah, to put less of everything else in, I forgot. Corn Syrup Solids? (wow)
Now do the math on the protein... And you get 50% protein in that scoop you're putting in water.
I'm not going to even touch the new NitroTech Hardcore. 20g protein, and then they tout the stupid studies on the product and gaining weight, and blah blah, but look at the rest of the formula.
The point is, do you want a PROTEIN powder or a so called MRP or 300 in one product disguised as a protein powder?
Your protein powder should contain NOTHING more than protein, flavoring and swetener, and Aminogen.
Heck if you want to be hardcore about it, you can get CFM Whey or Whey Conc WITH NOT FLAVORING OR SWEETENER. Yes, JUST protein, but beware the taste.
Here is another thing. I get 75 servings @ 27g protein per serving out of 5lbs. Now tell me what you get out of the others at 2.2lbs
I paid about the same price as they want for the BSN stuff. If you compare prices and servings. I got another 15serv out of it.
This basically is saying you have to have more pounds of other stuff to equal the same amount of protein as a PLAIN protein powder.
Mine is Protein, Vanilla flavoring and splenda and that is IT, with the exception of Aminogen in the mix.
This is the only thing I have used for years. Yes its expensive and I pay about $10.50-$11 a pound. Mines the real deal too, and not some fake protein that claims to be a real CFM Isolate (yes it exists and companies mask and change wording so you believe its what you are getting, but it isn't)
Mine contains 0g carbs, 0g fat and 27g protein per 1/3C
Whey Conc is the best form for you if you are on a budget and usually runs about $5/lb
Little fat and carbs and less protein per serving.
1/3C CFM= 90% protein per serving
1/3C Whey Conc= 69% protein per serving
These are all basic and companies will vary a hair depending on what they include in their mix. This is why I mentioned in the other thread about how all those other proteins.. BSN stuff, etc etc were pure junk. Read the label.
For instance the thread I talked about, Interceptor said good proteins were...
BSN's Syntha 6
Cytosport Muscle Milk
Muscletech Nitrotech
Wellements Pro Blend 55
VPX Zero Impact
VPX NitronX
MHP Probolic
Labrada ProV 60
I pointed out that he was wrong, and he laughed when I told him I hated to rain on his parade, yet I never got an answer as to why he was correct and I was wrong.
Wasn't a mudslinging contest, but a question to him as to WHY those were good choices for a protein. I didn't get a response, but i'll tell you why.
Who ever reads this, PAY ATTENTION and you'll be smarter than the next guy/kid at your gym who tells you that you should go out and buy Nitro Tech.
Here is what people fail to realize when they are picking their protein.
You want a PROTEIN powder right? Just like if you want a bowl of ice cream, you want that, and not nuts, whipped cream, a cherry, bananas, etc etc. Hey... I asked for ICE CREAM ONLY.
So what's wrong with those proteins you asked?
Lets break down BSN's Syntha 6 protein as an example...
A Sustained Release Ultra-Premium Protein Matrix Comprised Of (Ultrafiltered Whey Protein Concentrate [Milk] Rich In Alpha Lactalbumin, Microfiltered Whey Protein Isolate [Milk] Rich In Whey Isolate Peptide Fractions, Calcium Caseinate, Micellar Alpha And Beta Caseins And Caseinates [Milk], Milk Protein Isolate [Milk], Egg Albumin [Egg], Glutamine Peptides), Richmix Sunflower Powder Consisting Of (Sunflower Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Sodium Caseinate [Milk], Mono-Glycerides, Di-Glycerides, And Dipotassium Phosphate), Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder, Litesse®II Polydextrose, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Nutrisperse MCT Powder Consisting Of (Medium Chain Triglycerides, Nonfat Dry Milk, Di-Sodium Phosphate, Silicon Dioxide), Ticalose® Cellulose Gum, Sucralose , Acesulfame Potassium, Lecithin [Soy], Aminogen®, Papain
What in the hell is all of that garbage in there? Yeah, you have a blend of proteins, but so what, its 22g per scoop, so you know what that blend looks like? Yeah, not very good.
MCT powder? Come on... And Cellulose Gum? What the heck for? Oh yeah, to put less of everything else in, I forgot. Corn Syrup Solids? (wow)
Now do the math on the protein... And you get 50% protein in that scoop you're putting in water.
I'm not going to even touch the new NitroTech Hardcore. 20g protein, and then they tout the stupid studies on the product and gaining weight, and blah blah, but look at the rest of the formula.
The point is, do you want a PROTEIN powder or a so called MRP or 300 in one product disguised as a protein powder?
Your protein powder should contain NOTHING more than protein, flavoring and swetener, and Aminogen.
Heck if you want to be hardcore about it, you can get CFM Whey or Whey Conc WITH NOT FLAVORING OR SWEETENER. Yes, JUST protein, but beware the taste.
Here is another thing. I get 75 servings @ 27g protein per serving out of 5lbs. Now tell me what you get out of the others at 2.2lbs
I paid about the same price as they want for the BSN stuff. If you compare prices and servings. I got another 15serv out of it.
This basically is saying you have to have more pounds of other stuff to equal the same amount of protein as a PLAIN protein powder.
And what about Calcium caseinate?
Whey concentrate usually has better amino profile and less denaturing than isolates but has more fat and lactose. Whey isolate has hardly any fat and is absorbed the best of the three. Calcium caseinate is a protein that kind of curds in your stomach and takes forever to digest so your body has something to fuel with over time.
I buy bulk and usually order a 40/40/20 blend of the three.
Whey concentrate usually has better amino profile and less denaturing than isolates but has more fat and lactose. Whey isolate has hardly any fat and is absorbed the best of the three. Calcium caseinate is a protein that kind of curds in your stomach and takes forever to digest so your body has something to fuel with over time.
I buy bulk and usually order a 40/40/20 blend of the three.
I'm not huge on trueprotein.com like a lot of people because i think maybe they're screwing with people with the shipping charges, but i like how they do their powders. If you order 10 lbs of protein powder from them you get 10 lbs of protein powder instead of 9 lbs of protein powder and 1 lb of flavoring. They'll add the flavoring on top of the protein. I think if you get aminogen they do the same thing.
And with that new gemma protein i think next time i need powder i'm going to get that for all my powder needs (i have a ton of egg white powder too.. and caseine before bed) EXCEPT for post workout since whey is still the king of that. Gemma is in between whey and egg for absorption rate, but is cheaper than both (~$4/lb) and has a nice amino profile especially with the BCAAs and isn't going to be affected much if any by the rising price of corn like whey is.
I used to use whey concentrate exclusively and grew just fine on it. No digestion problems or anything but i've never had a problem with dairy.
Saying Gemma feels weird because that's the name of my last gf.
I know it sounds like i have a lot of powder but keep in mind i eat a pound of beef for dinner everyday, have about 6-8 raw eggs, and mostly use the powder for timing issues like caseine before bed or for when i need something quick on the go and won't be near food for a while.
And with that new gemma protein i think next time i need powder i'm going to get that for all my powder needs (i have a ton of egg white powder too.. and caseine before bed) EXCEPT for post workout since whey is still the king of that. Gemma is in between whey and egg for absorption rate, but is cheaper than both (~$4/lb) and has a nice amino profile especially with the BCAAs and isn't going to be affected much if any by the rising price of corn like whey is.
I used to use whey concentrate exclusively and grew just fine on it. No digestion problems or anything but i've never had a problem with dairy.
Saying Gemma feels weird because that's the name of my last gf.
I know it sounds like i have a lot of powder but keep in mind i eat a pound of beef for dinner everyday, have about 6-8 raw eggs, and mostly use the powder for timing issues like caseine before bed or for when i need something quick on the go and won't be near food for a while.
Whey is still king overall, but they are now saying that casein, and even small amounts of soy isolate are just as fine too after your workout. Things are kind of taking a twist as far as how they work in the body.
In fact there is a study out about choc milk after your workout. The study, was published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. Not dedicated to protein, but I do choc milk quite a bit with a scoop of whey protein.
Karp, J. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2006; (16: 78-91). “Nutrition and athletic performance -- Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine,”
In fact there is a study out about choc milk after your workout. The study, was published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. Not dedicated to protein, but I do choc milk quite a bit with a scoop of whey protein.
Karp, J. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 2006; (16: 78-91). “Nutrition and athletic performance -- Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine,”