Whey Protein Isolate Powder

Whey protein isolate powder works great as part of a calorie controlled diet. It has the lowest fat content of any protein around. Almost all the fat content of milk is removed during the processing of it to become an isolate.

Furthermore, protein can actually help you in your diet. When you have a carbohydrate heavy diet, your energy levels will peak and fall during the day giving you cravings. Using protein can smooth out these peaks and troughs and stop your body craving fatty foods during the day.

Personally, I don’t find the taste of whey protein too bad, but some people don’t find it entirely pleasant. There are a few ways you can improve the taste.

One of the best tasting options is chocolate. There are plenty of chocolate flavored whey protein isolate powders out there and they taste great. I’m a bit of a chocoholic, so using this flavor gives me the hit without the health problems of chocolate.

Another alternative is to make a smoothie using fruit. There are some recipes for whey protein smoothies here.

It’s best to spread your intake of whey protein through the day.

Probably the most important time to take it is first thing in the morning. After sleeping all night, the body is starved of protien. So making a shake with whey protein isolate powder first thing in the morning is very beneficial.

The next important time to take it is shortly after your workout. Again, your body will be craving that top up of protein after a hard and challenging training session. Whey protein will help to rebuild your muscles after the rigors of your workout.

As well as that, you should aim to spread a number of small meals (perhaps four or five) through the day in order to keep a fairly constant level in your body.

Not all proteins are created equal. The source of a particular protein can make a large difference to its effectiveness and efficiency.

Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS)

The official method for measuring the quality of proteins in the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS). This measures the amino acid profile of the protein against that require by humans and gives a score from 0 to 1. Whey protein isolate scores a perfect 1, meaning it provides all the amino acids required by the body. This score makes it the best protein around.

Biological Value

The quality of a protein as determined by the PDCAAS is only part of the story. A protein may have all of the amino acids required but this is immaterial if the protein cannot be absorbed easily. Biological Value is a percentage score showing how much of the protein is absorbed by the body. Whey protein, along with whole egg, has a perfect score of 100.

Speed of Absorption

As well as the complete absorption level, it is important that the protein can be absorbed as fast as possible to aid recovery after training. Whey protein is digested exceptionally quickly which makes it ideal as a post-workout liquid meal.

Fat Levels

If you are on a low calorie diet, a protein’s level of fat will certainly be a consideration. The bigger of an issue this is for you, the more important the purity of the protein. Again, whey protein isolate ranks above any other protein in this area.

Taste

On a more practical level, different proteins have a different taste. This is obviously a matter of personal preference, but many people quite enjoy the mild, milky taste of whey protein isolate.

Whey Protein Isolate is not a drug, but a dietary supplement. All the ingredients of it come from cow’s milk - so there are no extra dangers associated with it. It is not known to have any side effects whatsoever.

Is Whey Protein Isolate Safe If You Are Lactose Intolerant?

With whey protein coming from milk, there can be an issue if you are lactose intolerant. However, most of the lactose is removed from the whey when it is refined into the isolate state. This means that the isolate is much more suitable for those who are lactose intolerant than whey protein.

If you are lactose intolerant it is best to buy a pure whey protein isolate product. These products will have a much lower concentration of lactose (typically around 1%) that will be unlikely to set off a reaction.

If you are severely lactose intolerant, you should consult your doctor before starting to take whey protein isolate.

Is Whey Protein Isolate Safe If You Are Pregnant?

If there are no lactose intolerance issues, it is safe for pregnant women. Whey protein is often used in baby formula. Although there shouldn’t be any issues, as with any significant change to your diet when pregnant, it is best to consult a doctor.