Whey Protein: All You Need to Know

Walk into any gym and you would find gym goers gulping an ‘isolate shake’ right after their workout, trying to leverage that anabolic window that’s just opened up, not necessarily knowing why. Walk out the gym though, and you’ll hear many scoffing at this rampant supplementation.

“He shouldn’t be consuming supplements, he doesn’t even go to the gym”

“She takes whey! She’ll weigh a lot more soon, just you see”

“Whey! Why? Doesn’t she know it causes acne!”

“These artificial things just aren’t any good. I don’t like these things.”

These are some of the top accusations that the anti-supplement brigade makes against whey, backed up with examples of close friends and family who have suffered at the hands of this innocent-looking chocolate powder.

So what’s the truth? Are protein supplements really required? More specifically, is whey protein a boon for building muscle and staying healthy? Is it good for men but bad for women? Or is it just an artificial food that the human body, in general, isn’t equipped to digest?

The Real Question: How much protein do we need?

 

Remember, they’re called Protein Supplements. Supplements — so, by definition, they are gap-fillers. So the real question, is whether you have a gap in your protein intake. Let’s answer that first.

According to the US RDA, any healthy adult needs a minimum of 0.8grams / kg of body weight. Many folks will throw this figure at you, so we wanted to do it first. So we could then tell you to throw it away. Because this isn’t the optimal amount. It’s the minimum. Any lesser and they’d label your diet as deficient.

If you are a healthy adult looking to put on some muscle mass, you need to almost double that amount! So as an adult male, that’s about 1.5–1.7grams of protein/kg of body weight. For women, it’s pegged it a little lower, at ~1.2–1.4grams/ kg.

Don’t feel like doing the math, here is an easy calculator. You need to hit the top-end of the recommended ADA range.

How do I fill the gap?

Here is a list of the best, natural protein sources.. If you can, bridge your gap entirely by including more of these in your diet or you can buy energy bars online.

There really is no better way to make up your protein quota than to do it through wholesome, naturally occurring foods. If you’re able to manage this, then, by all means, don’t even look at that protein supplement.

But if you’re looking at the sample diet described above and wondering — ‘hmmm, I’m not even doing this much” — then chances are you won’t be able to make up this deficit through your regular meals (especially if you’re vegetarian)

Also, remember, that natural protein sources like meat, come with a lot of fat/carbs. So too much of those, and they can push you over your daily calorie limits

So I need a Protein Supplement?

Well, you do need more protein. And if it’s not going to come from natural sources, then it better come from artificial ones. Especially if you’re Indian, in which case your diet is designed to be protein-deficient. Because not consuming enough protein is much worse than whatever few side-effects these supplements may (or may not) have. And the most commonly used form of supplement is Whey Protein. So let’s break it down.

What is Whey?

Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. Whey protein is the globular proteins that can be isolated from whey.

Simply put, Whey Protein is a milk-derived protein that’s 100% vegetarian.

Now, there are various ways to derive the protein out of whey. If you’ve heard of Whey Isolate, Whey Concentrate, Whey Hydrolysate or Whey Native — you’d know what we’re talking about. If you wish to weigh (no pun) the pros and cons of each and understand them better, go here for a short summary.

But we’re not going to get into the amino-acid profiles of each and confuse you. Instead, let us give you a thumb rule.

When starting out, go for a regular concentrate. It’s the least processed form of whey, has many of the other nutrients intact and it won’t cost a bomb. But it does come with some fat and carbs.

So if you’re planning to be really strict, we’d say go for an Isolate. As the name suggests, it is almost entirely protein and almost zero fat/ carbs. Even more importantly, if you are lactose intolerant, isolate is for you. It has <1% lactose.

Here is the composition of a standard whey isolate that you’d find in the market.

So is whey the only way?

You should first try and make up your gap with natural foods. But doing so, in our busy lives, while ensuring we don’t overshoot your calorie-limit, is very tough. That’s where a simple protein shake that instantly takes you from ‘woefully short’ to ‘almost touching’ your protein goal, is a big boon.

As a thumb rule, a 30 gm scoop of Whey Isolate will give you anywhere between 24–27gm of protein. And since that’s all there is in the scoop, it’ll cost you ~100 calories. It’s the most calorie-efficient form of protein.

How do I start?

Slow.

Start with half a scoop. Have it in banana milkshake if you’re not lactose intolerant. Or just shake it with some cold water and drink it.

If you’ve been on a sub-50gm protein diet till now, chances are your body isn’t ready to absorb a sudden 30-gm protein shock in one go. That’s why we say start slow and let your body adjust to this new normal. For the same reason, don’t have your protein shake with a meal. In fact, have it as a meal in itself.

Remember that evening snack. The one-that-must-not-be-named and should-definitely-not-have-been-had. Replace that with a protein shake. Or if you exercise, have it right after the workout.

Initially, you might suffer some indigestion. Maybe even some acne. Don’t worry and don’t let it deter you. Soon your body will adjust. And that’ll be your signal to up the intake a bit.

If after two weeks it still makes you uncomfortable, then don’t push it.

But aren’t there too many whey protein powder side-effects?

Weight-gain, acne, indigestion and a general fear of artificial things are the top side-effects whey is popularly accused of. These are not entirely true, or immediately dismissible.

Whey is also believed to be gender-biased and hence not suited for women. Which couldn’t be further from the truth. Ladies reading this, please do yourself the favor of having an open mind when it comes to whey and trying before you decide.

It might not suit you, but if it does (and that’s a high-probability outcome), the benefits are immense.

My Experience

In my experience, the benefits are far more than whey protein powder’s side-effects. When I first started, I had a severely broken metabolism. So I found digesting whey very difficult. No one told me how to start so I started big and suffered the gastrointestinal-consequences.

But over time it has become a trusted friend on my fitness journey. I keep a jar at work and I carry it in a pouch when I travel. It’s both a tasty snack and my insurance against unavailability of protein-rich food. I always have 1-scoop in cold water right after gym. And sometimes, when my calorie-quota allows it, I also have it as a tasty shake with soy milk + banana + strawberries + cocoa.

Whey. My Way.

The whey itself is sweet (naturally + artificially) so the shake needs no sugar. But do read this post about artificial sweeteners before you start binging on it.