Whey is a substance that comes from cow's milk which contains a lot of protein, lactose, and minerals. Whey is a called 100% pure protein, because it contains all the important amino acids needed by the human body. Amino acids are chains of nitrogen containing sub-units that make up a protein. Amino acids determine whether or not a protein is complete. To be complete, a protein must contain all of the essential amino acids. The essential amino acids needed cannot be made by the body and therefore must be supplied by a diet. A good whey protein supplement will be an excellent source of amino acids as well as providing large amounts of non-essential and conditionally essential amino acids.
Trainer building muscle is more important to the person trying to gain weight and muscle is the ability of whey to deliver amino acids (BCAAs). Whey contains more BCAAs then any other protein source. These BCAAs include leucine, valine and iso-leucine. An intresting fact about BCAAS is that BCAAs make up a third of the amino acid profile in muscle. Within our muscles, BCAAs are important for assisting in the synthesis of other amino acids needed for building including the importance of glutamine.
For Body builders, athletes, and anyone else seeking protein supplements , Whey protein is especially recommended for those who exercise regularly by promoting fat loss while fueling the development of lean muscle mass. Whey protein also facilitates a highly efficient anabolic response for your body's ability to build and repair muscles. Whey protein comes in three major forms including concentrate, hydrolysate, and isolate. Whey protein concentrate contains small amounts of fat and cholesterol, and a fair amount of carbohydrates in the form of lactose. Concentrate ranges anywhere from 29%–89% protein by weight Generally, concentrates include some isolates and also ion-exchange and hydrolyzed proteins to bring up the protein content. Concentrates have a BV value of around 100. Whey protein hydrolysate consists of pre-digested, partially hydrolyzed whey protein. Hydrolysate generally costs more than other forms of protein and have a bitter taste. Whey protein isolate, which is carefully filtered to remove the fat and lactose while also retaining the pure amino acids which is arguably the cleanest, least and most palatable form of whey protein. Whey isolates are extremely rich in protein of about 90% or more by weight. The best whey protein powders utilize 100% whey protein isolate, which is pretty much free of cholesterol, fat and lactose. Isolates even have the highest BV of the whey protein supplements. With BV values higher than 150, isolates represent the height of protein efficiency. They are great for use in the morning when your protein levels have been depleted due to sleep and also as pre and post-workout nutrition. If a protein powder supplement does list fat in the ingredients, be sure it's no more than 2 grams per serving. Protein is an essential building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. Protein is known as a "macronutrient," meaning that the body needs relatively large amounts of it, but unlike fats and carbs, our bodies can not store protein. This means that every cell in your body depends on the protein you consume on a daily basis to perform optimally. Weight lifting will create stress on the body and if not nutritionally countered, weight lifting can weaken the immune system. This can mean an increase minor health problems such as a sore throat and can even open the door to more serious problems. Whey protein has been shown to have the ability to raise levels of glutathione. Glutathione is a small molecule that is found in every cell and is the major antioxidant produced by the cell. Whey's importance to the immune system cannot be overlooked.