The Benefits of Whey Protein Supplements

If you're looking to build muscle, gain strength, and lose weight put down the soy and step this whey.

Whey protein isn’t just for bodybuilders. In fact, whey can help people of all ages achieve better health and a better looking, stronger body. What makes whey so special? It is naturally composed of the best amino acids and immune boosting compounds. In fact, whey has the highest achievable protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAA) – a measure of both how well a protein is digested and how well it supplies the amino acids needed by an adult. In addition, whey contains all of the essential amino acids your body needs and more branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), specifically the BCAA leucine, then most other types of protein. Why is this important? Read on for whey’s main benefits.

Weight Loss & Maintenance
Protein is the most satiating of the 3 macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat) meaning it will keep you full for a longer period of time and help you decrease your food intake at your next meal. In fact, protein actually alters the satiety signals that are sent to your brain to tell you that you’ve had enough to eat. Whey protein, in particular, has been shown to promote greater fullness. Studies show that whey can decrease hunger to a greater extent than both casein (the primary protein in cottage cheese) and soy, two other proteins loaded with essential amino acids.

In addition to satiating one’s appetite, a few longer term studies show that adding whey protein to your diet may help you lose weight. In one study, scientists put two groups of people through a resistance training program. They told one group not to make any changes to their diet while they told the other group to add 300 – 600 more calories per day in the form of a nutrition supplement (this supplement was taken once per day for the first two weeks and twice a day for the remaining eight weeks of the study). Though both groups of participants lost fat the group given the whey lost twice as much fat as the group that wasn’t given the nutrition supplement. The whey group also gained more muscle.

What component of whey makes it help with weight loss? It could be the fact that it keeps you full for longer. Or, it may be the leucine content. Leucine is a fascinating amino acid that scientists believe may be the key amino acid for breaking down fat in the body and boosting muscle growth.

Strength Gains
In terms of total body transformation, whey doesn’t only boost your weight loss efforts but it’s also one of the best types of protein for gaining lean muscle mass and strength. This is vital for both men and women of all ages. Now, keep in mind that women don’t have the hormones to put on size and mass but will gain strength and by following a very well designed training program. Those bodybuilders you see have trained with very heavy weights for years on end and strategically take in enough total calories and protein to gain mass. For the females out there, strength will help you build better posture, boost athletic performance and help you develop a nice, lean, curvy figure.

The other group of people who absolutely must be focused on strength gains are those over the age of 40. Right around this age people start to lose muscle. This process is called sarcopenia and results from a lack of physical activity, not enough protein in one’s diet and changes in muscle tissue due to age. As one of the optimal proteins for building muscle tissue, whey can help slow this process.

Ideally, one should consume 20-30 grams of protein at every meal. Studies show that keeping your protein intake consistent throughout the day, as opposed to consuming little during breakfast, a little more during lunch and a decent amount at dinner. By evenly spacing out your protein intake you’ll build and maintain muscle mass to the greatest extent possible.

In addition, it’s essential to consume protein post-exercise. Though endurance training won’t help you build as much muscle as resistance training, you still need protein to repair muscle tissue. However,, after resistance training, it’s a good idea to take 20-30 grams of whey protein to boost muscle growth. Why? Because, whey proteins like 2:1:1 contains the best array of amino acids to stimulate muscle tissue growth and it’s fast, convenient and doesn’t require refrigeration!

Though you should aim for a variety of foods every day, adding whey protein to your diet after workouts and throughout the day can help you build muscle, gain strength, and help keep you satisfied throughout the day. Remember, whey has the best makeup of amino acids for muscle tissue. So start taking whey protein and start to notice changes in your body and athletic performance!!

If you're looking to add whey protein into your supplement routine, 1R would suggest the following:

1. Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrowhey - Hydrolyzed whey protein for quicker absorption with a ultra-pure formula
2. BSN Syntha-6 - Six source premium protein blend delivers a truly time-released formula that works throughout the day
3. Gaspari IntraPro - Pure whey isolate digests quickly to aid new muscle growth and faster recovery