perhaps naive question about whey protein powders :-)

[SkinnyJoe]

Ok, tried some of that stuff recently, and given the high price tag on some of those items, I can't help but wonder:

What does whey protein powder offer that fat-free milk or fat-free cheese don't? (other than convenience of carry)


Little luck on Google with this, so if someone can point me to some good sources that address this question, it would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[SkinnyJoe]

...based on this, not a whole lot (and it's clearly a pro-whey source):

http://www.wheyoflife.org/facts/ProteinQualityWeb.pdf

But, I may be missing something.

 

[orthogonal1]

Are you looking at pure whey powders or a powders with other ingredients?

When comparing prices, I usually look at calories per gram protein and total amount of the product I need to get 20 grams protein (what I consider a minimum "sitting").

Non-fat cheese @approx 7 cal/ gram protein
Non-fat milk @approx 10 cal/ gram protein
EAS Pure Whey @approx 5 cal/ gram protein

If your goal is 1 gram protein per pound body mass, protein powders start to look good when you consider the amount of total calories one needs to consume to get there - not to mention one gets sick of eating some foods or how some people's digestion of certain foods has some annoying side affects.

 

[DennisStrickland]

having used protein supplements since the 60s perhaps i can pass some info on. firstly most persons use these as a convieient & quick way to add protein to the dailey diet. nonfat milk & cheese are just as good & even may have a slight nutrioinal advantage.the main reason i use these is they are easy & quick methods to boost your requirements. at one period in my life i worked 100 hr. weeks for nearly 10 yrs.one period of this i was working 2 jobs{one 7 days a wk.] increased protein does help offset fatigue.i used to carry a container & powder to work.the method i use is 1st to check colosteral level ,calories, & percentage of protein per 1 oz. next i factor in cost of the percentage of protein per unit of measure. this is easy when you've been doing it for yrs.stay away from soy proteins since difficulty in digesting makes soy a less effiecent product.computing the factors per oz. will allow you to get most healthy, greatest protein per oz. & all at the best price. at 71 yrs. & still cleaning carpet by pulling that machine protein helps reduce fatigue factor.please excuse the spelling ,i usually stay in knife areas & members have gotten good at interpreting what i'm saying.

 

[smegs]

Depending on the price you pay, protein powder can be cheaper than whole foods if we're looking at protein content only.

An ounce of meat is around 7 grams of protein.
An ounce of milk is around 1 gram of protein.
1 whole egg equal 6 grams of protein.

Calculate your whole food costs vs powder.

A pound of whey isolate at $8.00 a pound will give you 390 grams of protein. That's about 2 cents a gram.

A pound of meat has about 112 grams of protein. Any meat at $2.25 a pound will equal a whey isolate protein price per gram.

A gallon of milk equal 64 grams of protein.
A dozen eggs has 72 grams of protein.

Figure it out. Figure how much fat you want to take in, what you can stomach and what your goals are. If your lifting iron and just starting out, you'll make gains by just eating regular foods. Milk, meat, eggs, fish in quanities that give you at least 0.75 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Personally, I would still use whey to the tune of about 40 to 80 grams a day. It has components that are very healthful, it's fat free and very low carb. Plus it's quick and easy.

 

[hoopster]

I think the whey proteins are also supposed to be easier to digest or more readily available for use by the body.

 

[Fort Henry Custom Knives]

Very little that I can add that Dennis and smegs didn't cover (great posts guys).

Take into account that WP will last a very long time (unmixed) and the ability to take it anywhere and mix with water (though Milk is better).

I would recommend Optimum Nutrion, if you search you can find a huge jug (I htink it's 5lb) for less than $35 shipped, and it tastes great with either water or milk.

 

[sircantaloupe]

Ok, tried some of that stuff recently, and given the high price tag on some of those items, I can't help but wonder:

What does whey protein powder offer that fat-free milk or fat-free cheese don't? (other than convenience of carry)

Rate of digestion!

Whole milk protein is a mix of approx. 20% whey and 80% casein. Cheese is virtually all casein. Whey is quick digesting - there and gone in about 2 hours, so perfect for post-workout nutrition because its amino acids are hitting your bloodstream so quickly. Casein is very slow digesting, taking up to 8 hours to digest fully, and it slows down the digestion and absorption of any accompanying nutrients. Hence whey protein being the gold standard for quick absorbing protein. Whole milk protein is great for use throughout the day, but isn't really appropriate for your protein source right after a hard workout.

A good whey protein isolate is also virtually pure protein, so it's extremely lean and low in calories. It's also going to have very low lactose, for those who usually have problems with dairy.

I work at a Vitamin Shoppe, sorry. Have to drop knowledge about things I am interested in.

 

[severedthumbs]

HydroWhey is where its at

 

[ironmike86]

Rate of digestion!


A good whey protein isolate is also virtually pure protein, so it's extremely lean and low in calories. It's also going to have very low lactose, for those who usually have problems with dairy.

.

What he said PPL take this to bulk up without eating XXXX amount of foods adding alot of calories. Bulk up and stay lean.

 

[HawGorn]

Basically what ppl said, whey is convenient etc. Rate of digestion doesn't really matter unless you workout first thing in the morning. Food eaten earlier (especially fats and/or solid proteins) sit in the gut for hours. If you've eaten within a few hours before the workout you still have nutrients entering the bloodstream.

Speed of Digestion

 

[kinzli]

Also, whey doesn't have the milk sugars that regular milk does...