How Does Whey Protein Help Build Muscle?

Whey protein is possibly the most widely used protein supplement for bodybuilders, athletes and fitness fanatics. Proteins are essential for building and repairing muscle, and without adequate protein intake, workouts can not only be a wasted effort, but can lead to over training and muscle deterioration. Supplementing your diet with extra protein is therefore essential for most people that workout intensively, especially those looking to build muscle.

What is Whey Protein?

This article gets a bit technical, or biological to be more precise, so be warned. Whey protein is the name for a collection of globular proteins that can be isolated from whey, a by-product of cheese manufactured from cow’s milk. It is typically a mixture of beta-lactoglobulin (~65%), alpha-lactalbumin (~25%), and serum albumin (~8%), which are soluble in their native forms, independent of pH. Whey has the highest biological value of any known protein.

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Native whey protein does not aggregate upon renneting or acidification of milk. Prolonged heat-treatment at sufficiently high temperatures and long duration will denature (i.e. partly unfold) the whey protein, triggering hydrophobic interactions with other proteins, and the formation of disulfide links between whey proteins and casein micelles, leading to aggregation with other milk proteins at low pH.

Whey protein can be denatured (irreversibly changed) by heat — similar to the protein in egg whites which, when fried, permanently changes from a clear liquid to a white solid. When subjected to high heat (like the sustained high temperatures above 72 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Fahrenheit) associated with the pasteurization process) whey proteins become denatured and lose some bioactive compounds like cysteine, an amino acid that is a precursor to glutathione, an antioxidant.

Whey protein typically comes in three major forms: isolate, concentrate and hydrolysate. Whey protein concentrates contain fat, lactose, cholesterol, carbohydrates, and bioactive compounds. Isolates are processed to remove the fat, lactose, and carbohydrates, yet are usually lower in bioactive compounds as well — they are nearly 90% protein by weight. Hydrolysates are predigested, partially hydrolysed whey proteins which consequently are more easily absorbed, but their cost is generally higher.

Uses of Why Protein

Whey protein contains high levels of both essential and non-essential amino acids. Like other protein supplements, whey powder is commonly used by bodybuilders and athletes desiring to accelerate muscle development and aid in recovery. Some individuals with suppressed/abnormal immune systems and/or degenerative diseases use undenatured bioactive whey proteins to increase their antioxidant levels. Undenatured whey proteins are a good source of cysteine, a conditionally essential amino acid which is the rate limiting factor for the body’s production of glutathione, an important antioxidant. Pregnant mothers are sometimes counselled by their Obstetricians to supplement their diets with whey protein to ensure that their developing babies get all the basic amino acids they might need.

Examples of commercial whey proteins include those available in most health food stores and supermarket health sections; they typically consist of isolate/concentrate or isolate/concentrate/hydrolysate mixtures and they are usually flavoured so they can be mixed with water or milk and consumed as a drink or shake. Bioactive whey proteins, typically unflavoured and with fewer or no additives, are significantly more expensive.

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