T Nation

Whey

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

I’ve just read over a dozen articles on whey (which I started taking). While interesting, they didn’t answer the basic question: why take whey protein over, say, egg protein or just fixing another chicken breast? I?ve read enough about whey to know it helps with immune function and glutathione may help prevent prostate cancer.

As good as those reasons are, I know that?s not why whey is loved by body builders the world over, right? Can someone just give me the key bullet points as to the superiority of whey? Then I can search and google and do whatever I need to to pull up key information on this subject?

#2

The key points (for bodybuilding purposes) are bioavailability, absorption rate, and convenience.

Happy reading.

-Dan

#3

Whey isn’t superior to other proteins – it’s just easier to prepare a protein shake than it is to cook.

A well-designed diet will contain protein from a variety of whole-food sources. Supplemental protein is only required if you can get enough from food, which is difficult for those of us that have more to do than cook, eat, and train.

#4

Whey is fast-acting.

Perfect for after a workout, but not such a good idea the rest of the time.

Causes huge insulin spikes.

Egg protein doesn’t mix very well.

Casein is often preferred to whey because it’s slower digesting, causes less of an insulin spike, and it’s been shown in some studies to promote muscle growth to a larger degree than whey.

A chicken breast is a great option. However, it’s hard to consume two chicken breasts (about 40 to 50 grams of protein) every three hours.

When possible, eat whole protein (such as a chicken breast), but when it’s not possible or convenient, drink a whey/casein blend (except for after a workout, when you’ll ideally want some whey).