By Will Brink
|
If there is one thing that continues
to perplex me, it is the disparity between how popular whey
protein is (thanks in large part to yours truly) and how much
confusion there is regarding this immensely popular supplement.
Why are people so confused
about whey? I have to conclude that it's part deceptive advertising
by some unscrupulous supplement companies, poorly researched
articles put out by self proclaimed "guru" types,
and the fact that whey is indeed a complicated protein. In
this article I will endeavor to clear it all up once and for
all…lift the vale of secrecy, strip away the myths, and
shatter the hyperbole surrounding this ultra popular supplement.
|
 |
By the time you are through reading
this article, you will know all you need to know regarding the differences
in whey, such as concentrates vs. isolates, micro filtered vs. ion
exchange, and many other answers to questions that seem to persist
no matter how hard wise-guy writers like me have tried to dispense
with all the myths and misinformation/disinformation surrounding
whey. Read this article carefully, put it to memory, and you will
be the resident whey expert in the gym and amaze your friends at
the next cookout if whey becomes a topic of discussion (in which
case you go to some boring cookouts!).
What is whey?
When we talk about whey we are actually
referring to a complex ingredient made up of protein, lactose, fat
and minerals. Protein is the best known component of whey and is
made up of many smaller protein subfractions such as: Beta-lactoglobulin,
alpha-lactalbumin, immunoglobulins (IgGs), glycomacropeptides, bovine
serum albumin (BSA) and minor peptides such as lactoperoxidases,
lysozyme and lactoferrin. Each of the subfractions found in whey
has its own unique biological properties.
Up until quite recently, separating
these subfractions on a large scale was either impossible or prohibitively
expensive for anything but research purposes. Modern filtering technology
has improved dramatically in the past decade, allowing companies
to separate some of the highly bioactive peptides -such as lactoferrin
and lactoperoxidase-from whey.
Some of these subfractions are only
found in very minute amounts in cow's milk, normally at less than
one percent. For example, although it is one of the most promising
subfractions for preventing various diseases, improving immunity
and overall health, lactoferrin makes up approximately 0.5% or less
of whey protein derived from cow's milk (whereas human milk protein
will contain up to 15% lactoferrin). Over the past few decades,
whey protein powders have evolved several generations from low protein
concentrates to very high protein isolates.
What's so great about whey?
Whey protein has become a staple supplement
for most bodybuilders and other athletes, and for good reason: it's
a great protein with a wide variety of benefits. Whey has more recently
caught on with the anti-aging/longevity-minded groups also.
A growing number of studies has found
whey may potentially reduce cancer rates, combat HIV, improve immunity,
reduce stress and lower cortisol, increase brain serotonin levels,
improve liver function in those suffering from certain forms of
hepatitis, reduce blood pressure, and improve performance, to name
a few of its potential medical- and sports-related applications.
Whey also has an exceptionally high biological value rating and
an exceptionally high Branch Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) content.
One of whey's major effects is its
apparent ability to raise glutathione (GSH). The importance of GSH
for the proper function of the immune system cannot be overstated.
GSH is arguably the most important water-soluble antioxidant found
in the body.
The concentration of intracellular
GSH is directly related to lymphocyte's (an important arm of the
immune system) reactivity to a challenge, which suggests intracellular
GSH levels are one way to modulate immune function. GSH is a tri-peptide
made up of the amino acids L-cysteine, L-glutamine and glycine.
Of the three, cysteine is the main source of the free sulfhydryl
group of GSH and is a limiting factor in the synthesis of GSH (though
the effects of whey on GSH is more complicated than simply its cysteine
content).
Because GSH is known to be essential
to immunity, oxidative stress, and general well being, and because
reduced levels of GSH are associated with a long list of diseases,
whey has a place in anyone's nutrition program. Reduced GSH is also
associated with over training syndrome (OTS) in athletes, so whey
may very well have an application in preventing, or at least mitigating,
OTS.
Pertaining directly to athletes, some
recent studies suggest whey may have direct effects on performance
and muscle mass, but this research is preliminary at best. Some
studies have found oxidative stress contributes to muscular fatigue,
so having higher GSH levels may allow you to train longer and harder,
as some recent data suggests.
Different types of whey
Most of the confusion surrounding
whey appears to be in understanding the different types of whey:
concentrates, isolates, ion exchange, and others. In the following
sections, I will attempt to clear it all up for the reader.
Whey Protein Concentrates:
First generation whey protein powders
contain as low as 30-40% protein and high amounts of lactose, fat,
and undenatured proteins. They are categorized as a whey concentrate
and are used mostly by the food industry for baking and other uses.
Modern concentrates now contain as high as 70-80% protein with reduced
amounts of lactose. This is achieved through ultra-filtration processing,
which removes lactose, thus elevating the concentration of protein
and fat in the final product. Although much maligned by companies
who have invested heavily in marketing isolates, a well made concentrate
is still a high quality source of whey protein, though it will contain
higher levels of lactose, ash, and fat then an isolate.
The pros and cons of isolates, and the micro filtered vs. ion exchange
debate
Whey Protein Isolates (WPIs) generally
contain as much as 90-96% protein. Research has found that only
whey proteins in their natural undenatured state (i.e. native conformational
state) have biological activity. Processing whey protein to remove
the lactose, fats, etc. without losing its biological activity takes
special care by the manufacturer. Maintaining the natural undenatured
state of the protein is essential to its anti-cancer and immune-modulating
activity. The protein must be processed under low temperature and/or
low acid conditions as not to "denature" the protein.
WPIs contain >90% protein content with minimal lactose and virtually
no fat.
The advantage of a good WPI is that
it contains more protein and less fat, lactose, and ash than concentrates
on a gram-for-gram basis. However, it should be clear to the reader
by now that whey is far more complicated than simple protein content,
and protein content per se is far from the most important factor
when deciding which whey to use. For example, ion exchange has the
apparent highest protein levels of any isolate.
Does that make it the best choice
for an isolate? No, but many companies still push it as the holy
grail of whey. Ion exchange is made by taking a concentrate and
running it through what is called an ion exchange column to get
an "ion exchange whey isolate." Sounds pretty fancy, but
there are serious drawbacks to this method. As mentioned above,
whey protein is a complex protein made up of many sub fraction peptides
that have their own unique effects on health and immunity. Some
of these subfractions are only found in very small amounts. In truth,
the subfractions are really what ultimately makes whey the unique
protein it is.
Due to the nature of the ion exchange
process, the most valuable and health-promoting components are selectively
depleted. Though the protein content is increased, many of the most
important subfractions are lost or greatly reduced. This makes ion
exchange isolates a poor choice for a true third-generation whey
protein supplement, though many companies still use it as their
isolate source due to the higher protein content. Ion exchange isolates
can be as high as 70% or greater of the subfraction Beta-lactoglobulin,
(the least interesting and most allergenic subfraction found in
whey) with a loss of the more biologically active and interesting
subfractions.
So, the pros of an ion exchange whey
is for those who simply want the very highest protein contents per
gram, but the cons are that the higher protein content comes at
cost; a loss of many of the subfractions unique to whey. Not an
acceptable trade in my view, considering the fact that the actual
protein differences between a micro filtered type isolate is minimal
from that of an ion exchange.
This segues us nicely into looking
at the micro filtered whey isolates. With the array of more recent
processing techniques used to make WPIs-or pull out various subfractions
-such as Cross Flow Micro filtration (CFM®), ultra filtration
(UF), micro filtration (MF), reverse osmosis (RO), dynamic membrane
filtration (DMF), ion exchange chromatography, (IEC), electro-ultrafiltration
(EU), radial flow chromatography (RFC) and nano filtration (NF),
manufacturers can now make some very high grade and unique whey
proteins.
Perhaps the most familiar micro filtered
isolate to readers would be CFM®*. Although the term "cross
flow micro filtered" is something of a generic term for several
similar ways of processing whey, The CFM® processing method
uses a low temperature micro filtration technique that allows for
the production of very high protein contents (>90%), the retention
of important subfractions, extremely low fat and lactose contents,
with virtually no undenatured proteins. CFM® is a natural, non-chemical
process which employs high tech ceramic filters, unlike ion exchange,
which involves the use of chemical reagents such as hydrochloric
acid and sodium hydroxide. CFM® whey isolate also contains high
amounts of calcium and low amounts of sodium.
To sum this section up:
- The pros of ion exchange isolates
are extremely low fat and lactose levels, with the highest protein
levels (on a gram-for-gram basis). The con-which outweighs the
pros in my view-is the loss of important subfractions in favor
of higher amounts of Beta-Lac.
- The pros of well-made micro filtered
isolates are a high protein content (90% or above), low lactose
and fat levels, very low levels of undenatured proteins, and the
retention of important subfractions in their natural ratios. There
really are no cons per se, unless the person wants the additional
compounds discussed in the next section.
* = CFM® is a trademark (hence
the annoying trade mark symbol next to whenever I write CFM) of
Glanbia Nutritionals, a large dairy company based in Ireland with
production in the US.
New directions/the future for whey
There are several interesting directions
in the development and processing of the next generation of whey
proteins.
Bioactive whey fraction protein
A new generation of whey products
known as Bioactive Whey Fraction (BAWF) protein is soon to hit the
market place, and has the potential to be a worthwhile addition
to an athlete's diet. These new BAWF proteins provide the benefits
of high protein levels (>70%) accompanied by greatly increased
levels of bioactive health-promoting compounds. This innovative
product contains all sorts of interesting compounds not found in
significant concentrations in either whey isolates or concentrates.
BAWF protein contains far higher total growth factor levels comprised
from IGF-1, TGF-ß1, and TGF-ß2. It contains much higher
levels of various phospholipids and various bioactive lipids, such
as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), phosphotidyl-serine, phosphtidyl-choline,
sphingomyelin, and higher levels of immunoglobulins and lactoferrin.
Although data is lacking, studies
will likely be completed to demonstrate BAWF protein's effects related
to athletes' muscle mass or performance. Current studies do suggest
these compounds can improve immunity and intestinal health, and
have many other effects that both athletes and less active people
alike may find beneficial. The differences in the levels of these
compounds between this BAWF protein compared to standard concentrates
and isolates is not minor. For example when comparing a BAWF protein
to a typical concentrate (e.g. WPC 80), the BAWF protein has 350%
more lactoferrin, 400% more CLA, 200% more PS more and PC and 150%
more IGF as found in the concentrate. The differences are even larger
between BAWF protein and an isolate as isolates have only trace
amounts of PS, PC, and CLA.
Optimizing subfraction ratios
Another fairly new development in
whey processing is the ability to isolate certain bioactive subfraction
proteins on a large scale from whey proteins, such as lactoferrin
or Glycomacro peptide, using some of the processing methods mentioned
above. This was not possible to do on a large scale just a few years
ago, but can be done today with modern filtering techniques employed
by a small number of companies. This allows for a truly tailored
protein supplement; the ability to add back in certain subfractions
in amounts that can't be found in nature.
Take for example the subfraction
lactoferrin. In many whey products, it is nonexistent due to the
type of processing employed. The best whey products will contain
less than 1% lactoferrin-and more like 0.5%-of this rare but important
micro-fraction. Some companies are now able to add in a specific
subfraction to get a truly "designer" protein. One company
is also working on making an isolate that will have higher levels
of the beneficial subfraction alpha-lactalbumin, and lower levels
of the more allergenic and less nutritive subfraction Beta-lactoglobulin.
"High alpha-lac" whey isolates would be potentially superior
to what is currently on the market in large scale production.
Hydrolyzed proteins make a comeback
Most people remember hydrolyzed proteins
were all the rage a few years ago, then dropped off sharply. "Hydrolyzed"
basically means the protein has been broken down partially into
peptides of different lengths. Because the protein is already partially
broken down, it is absorbed faster, which may have positive effects
under certain circumstances, and certain metabolic conditions (i.e.,
burn victims or people with certain digestive disorders and pre-term
infants). Whether or not hydrolyzed proteins are truly an advantage
to athletes has yet to be proven.
The hype over hydrolyzed proteins
was largely based on one rat study that found fasted rats given
Hydrolyzed protein had higher nitrogen retention then rats fed whole
protein. Human studies have shown that whey peptide-based diets
in patients with cancer and crohn's disease result in enhanced nitrogen
retention and utilization. To date, no one has followed up with
a human study with healthy athletes showing the same thing.
Regardless, the reason Hydrolyzed
protein supplements never became more popular was due to the fact
they tasted awful, were expensive, and lacked enough data to really
support their use. The way they were produced at the time also denatured
the protein heavily. One company has a method for Hydrolyzing whey
protein that uses an enzymatic process that tastes OK and does not
denature the protein. It also appears to be fairly cost effective.
This type of Hydrolyzed whey may have some interesting, albeit poorly
researched, applications for bodybuilders and other athletes.
Got milk minerals?
Another potentially useful product
to bodybuilders and other athletes is a process for extracting milk
minerals from the milk. This yields a highly bio available form
of calcium without the fat and lactose of dairy products, and also
contains other minerals and nutrients, such as magnesium, phosphorus,
potassium, and zinc, needed for optimal bone formation and metabolism.
Recent research suggests that higher calcium intakes are associated
with lower blood pressure and other positive effects on health.
Most interesting to bodybuilders and
other athletes, however, is a growing body of research that has
found that higher calcium intake leads to reduced body fat levels
and may help shift the metabolism to increased lipolysis (fat breakdown)
and decrease lipogenesis (formation of fat). Though bodybuilder
types don't tend to suffer from bone density issues, many may not
be getting an optimal intake of calcium to see changes in body fat
levels. This new milk mineral product added to various protein formulas
might be just what the anabolic doctor ordered for athletes looking
to minimize body fat and maximize muscle mass.
|
|
Conclusion
Well there you
have it. I hope this article finally clears up the major confusion
people have surrounding whey, so you can now be an educated
consumer when you go to buy that next can of whey.
Don't be fooled
by the hype. Whey is great stuff for many reasons, but you
won't "add mounds of muscle in ultra short time"
from the simple addition of whey to your diet. I also suggest
people keep an eye out for some of the newer developments
I outlined above that will probably be finding their way into
the next generation of whey-based formulas.
|
Books By Will Brink
 |
 |
| Fat
Loss Revealed is the ultimate fat loss system. A
complete online and offline system used by anybody who want's
to attain a fantastic lean physique. A simple to follow, yet
detailed page e-book with a complete fat loss diet plan, pre-made
diets, over 40+ fat loss supplement reviews, resistance workouts,
and cardio chapters, along with motivation and goal setting
and a huge online private members area and forum with a meal
planner, diet planner, nutrition database and 24/7 human personal
trainers. |
Bodybuilding
Revealed is a complete blueprint to muscle building
success. Everything you need to know about diet & muscle
building nutrition, over 50 bodybuilding supplements reviewed,
weight training routines, high intensity cardio, the mental
edge, pre-made muscle building diets and an online private
members forum, diet planner, meal planner and much more.
It's all in Will Brink's ultimate guide to gaining muscle
mass.
|
Click
here to learn more about
Fat Loss Revealed |
Click
here to learn more about
Bodybuilding Revealed |
 |
 |
| Click
here to get access to a FREE 5 Part "Insider Fat Loss Report"
by Will Brink |
Click
here to get access to a FREE 5 Part "Muscle Building Success
Series Report" by Will Brink |
Five FREE eBooks You Can
Download Now!
These books are in PDF format
- right-click on the link
and choose "save target as" to download.
|
|
The Creatine Report - Creatine
Usage in Sports, Health and Anti-Aging
|
Fat Loss Facts, Tips and
Tricks
|
| Click
Here to Download |
Click
Here to Download |
|
The Perfect Rep - How To
Optimize Your Muscle Growth and Performance
|
Tasty Fat-Loss and Muscle-Gaining
Recipes
|
| Click
Here to Download |
Click
Here to Download |
|
Supplement Company Secrets
- What They
Don't Want You To Know
|
| Click
Here to Download |
About
The Author
|
Will Brink has over 15
years experience as a respected author, columnist and
consultant, to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding,
and weight loss industry and has been extensively published.Will
graduated from Harvard University with a concentration
in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major
supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
His often ground breaking
articles can be found in publications such as Lets Live,
Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life
Extension Magazine, Muscle & Fitness, Inside Karate,
Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen,
Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter
For Doctors.
|
 |
|
|
