"Whey"
"Casein"
"Protein powder"
"Nothing. Too broke for that crap"
Assuming you fall into one of the first three categories, you have probably been told that protein powder plays an important role in muscle recovery and speeds up the process of accruing mass so that you'll look like this guy in three months:
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| Two-Time Mr. Olympia, Phil Heath |
While protein powder does play an essential role in muscle recovery and protein synthesis, rest assured it will not transform your physique as dramatically as these supplement companies advertise they will. Unless coupled with superior genetics, loads of anabolic steroids, and indomitable devotion to bodybuilding, few of us will ever attain a physique remotely close to professional bodybuilders.
But I digress. Before I delve any further, I'd like to give a quick summary of what protein powder is.
The Two Main Categories of Protein Powders
Protein powder can generally be separated into two categories: animal source proteins and plant source proteins. Animal source proteins include goat's milk and egg white protein along with milk derivatives such as whey and casein. Plant source proteins, on the other hand, consist of rice, soy, pea, and hemp proteins. Animal source proteins generally contain more BCAA's (Branched-chain amino acids) and active bio-subfractions than their plant source protein counterparts although many people opt for the latter to fit their lifestyle and dietary needs.
Animal Source Proteins - The Breakdown
Milk proteins are generally composed of 80% casein and 20% whey. We can isolate the milk protein from the fat by applying a large centrifugal force (high-spinning) to the milk and then adjusting the pH to the isoelectric point (pH where the overall charge is equal to zero) of casein (ph of roughly 4.6) which will cause the casein to precipitate out of the solution. This process ultimately yields in the isolation of two distinct proteins: casein and whey.
Whey Proteins
Whey Protein Concentrate: By far, the most popular choice for protein supplements has to be whey. It is the best choice with regards to taste, quality, and cost. Whey protein is manufactured by further refining and purifying the liquid soluble portion of the milk protein. Whey protein generally contains 70-80% protein per weight along with numerous bioactive subfractions that each contain unique biological properties including anti-carcinogenic effects, pro-immune system effects, and pro-digestive system effects. It also contains all nine of the essential amino acids necessary for normal growth and causes a spike in plasma amino acids levels which leads to greater protein synthesis. On the downside, because it is rapidly digested and causes a spike in plasma amino acid levels, it will clear out of your body system in a few hours providing a very short, temporary episode of accelerated protein synthesis. Many people may also be intolerant to the lactose present in whey protein or have minor allergic reactions to the bioactive subfractions.
Whey Protein Isolate: Similar to whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate undergoes an additional step of purification via an ion-exchange column and/or filtration system. Ion-exchange column generally yield a higher percentage of proteins, but also remove the beneficial bioactive subfractions while retaining the most allergic sub-fraction in whey: beta-lactalbumin. An alternative to ion-exchange columns involve complex filtration systems including: ion-exchange chromatography, reverse osmosis, and micro-filtration. Filtering the whey protein in this manner removes all of the lactose and fat while retaining the content level of pro-health bioactive subfractions. WPI generally costs more than WPC and becomes foamy when mixed. The clearance time is relatively similar to WPC.
Quick science behind the aforementioned filtration methods:
- Ion-exchange chromatography seeks to separate ions and molecules by charge. It involves the different ion species in the mobile phase component reacting with a stationary charged column. Ions and molecules with a greater affinity and attraction for the column will have longer elution and retention times while ions with a weaker attraction will have shorter elution times.
- Reverse osmosis, on the other hand, applies an external pressure to the solution to overcome the osmotic pressure (the solvent will flow from a low-solute concentration to the high-solute concentration region). For example, applying RO to salt-water will force the solvent (water) to emerge from less pressurized side, purifying the water from the salt.
Hydrolyzed Whey Protein: HWP is manufactured by exposing WPC to enzymes that break down the proteins into shorter peptides allowing for faster digestion while removing most allergic bioactive subfractions. Unfortunately, HWP costs significantly more and tastes even worse.
Casein Proteins
Calcium Caseinate: Calcium Caseinate is produced by isolating the insoluble portion of the milk protein and further purifying it with chemicals (denaturation). Calcium caseinate gels in the stomach during digestion, causing a slower, steady increase in amino acid levels, but maintains the elevated levels for up to 7 hours. Although calcium caseinate is more anti-catabolic than WPC, it is also less anabolic in terms of protein synthesis and contains fewer BCAA's and bioactive subfractions.
Micellar Casein: Similar to calcium caseinate, micellar casein does not undergo a subsequent purification. It is superior to calcium caseinate but costs slightly more and still ranks inferior to WPC in terms of bioavailability.
Other Proteins
Egg Protein: Produced by drying egg whites into powder form. Egg protein is free of lactose, fats, and cholesterol making it extremely popular with health enthusiasts that still believe in rubbish cholesterol myths. It contains nearly all of the essential amino acids and is more bioavailable than casein although it still pales in comparison when matched up with WPC. It also tastes worse than the milk proteins.
Soy Protein Concentrate: Produced by exposing defatted soy flour or flakes to filtration methods that extract most of the carbohydrate content, leaving about 70% of the protein weight. It contains the complete spectrum of essential amino acids and is a popular choice for vegetarians who won't consume milk or egg proteins. It also contains isoflavones which may have anti-carcinogenic and anti-oxidant properties. SPC lack in BCAA content and isoflavones may be a risk factor for developing breast cancer in post-menopausal women.
Soy Protein Isolate: Produced by further purifying SPC to yield 90% protein per weight. It has all of the benefits of SPC but contains a greater percentage of protein and less carbohydrate content making it a viable choice for diabetics and those watching their stomach line. It also contains less isoflavones and phytoestrogens making it suitable for post-menopausal women. Unfortunately, it is also quite expensive and less bioavailable than the aforementioned proteins.
Sweeteners, Flavors, Enhancements
In addition to the different types of proteins, there exists a huge variety of artificial sweeteners, flavors and ingredients that enhance the nutrition and taste of the product. Most of the artificial sweeteners and flavors have been approved by regulatory agencies although many still opt for all-natural products that contain no artificial ingredients.
Supplement companies also use enhancements in their products to improve their marketing ability. Lecithin, a fat derived from soy, improves the mixability of the protein and has shown to have a positive correlation in cardiovascular health and memorization. Other enhancements include digestive enzymes such as lactase and aminogen, amino acids, and additional vitamins and minerals.
With so many supplement companies and so many different protein products, it's hard to give a definitive answer on which product is the best. Unless you're specifically training for an event, cheap whey protein powder from Walmart will suffice for your basic dietary and nutritional needs.
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