Whey protein isolate differs from concentrated whey. Let’s look at what it is, and how it benefits the body.
In recent years, whey protein supplements have gained prominence even outside the bodybuilding community. They are being consumed by men who wish to gain muscle mass and definition. Whey protein powders can be added to fruit juice, milk or water for consumption. There is a specific serving size mentioned on the pack, and the powder must be consumed in the recommended proportion only.
Over time, you notice that your muscles are gaining mass and bulk, then before. These powders are useful for underweight men who wish to bulk up slightly, or professional bodybuilders. Mostly, bodybuilders or those who want to gain muscle weight and reduce fat buy BigMuscles whey protein isolate powder.
What is whey?
Whey is the liquid part of milk, formed when you process milk to make cheese or yoghurt. It is a rich source of fast-digesting proteins needed by the body. The other part of milk is casein, which also contains proteins, however these are digested slowly by the body. Whey is required by the body because it contains 9 essential amino acids that help protein synthesis, primarily in the muscles.
Thus, whey is responsible for the production of new protein in the muscles, which helps them gain mass, definition, and weight. Whey is used in supplements as whey protein isolate and concentrate, but there are some differences between the two.
What is whey protein isolate?
- Whey protein is processed in different ways. You can get whey protein isolate or concentrate depending on the processing method used.
- The whey collected after processing milk may be processed further to increase its protein content much more. After the liquid is processed enough, it can be dried to form whey concentrate powder. This whey concentrate contains about 80% of pure protein, while the remaining comprises sugars, carbs, and fats.
- However, whey protein isolate is created when the fat and carbs percentage of whey is reduced even further. Thus, you get about 90% of the pure protein in whey protein isolate
- Hence whey protein isolate has a higher protein content and lower fat and carbs content in every serving. This means that it has a slightly more profound effect on muscle mass and building than whey concentrate. However, both are beneficial for the purpose of muscle building, so one cannot be recommended over another. Both contain the same complex of amino acids since they are derived from the same source of protein, i.e. whey. Thus, you may safely buy whey protein isolate or concentrate if your aim is to build muscle mass.
Both whey protein concentrate and isolate also have an appreciable effect on improving the texture of skin and hair, apart from improving bone health.