Question:
What’s the difference, really? Would I really see any noticeable benefits by paying extra for whey protein isolate or is it a con?
Answer:
Paying for higher quality is never a con, but you need to be made aware of a couple of things: Just as there are different whey protein concentrates, there are different whey protein isolates. Whey protein isolate tends to be over 90% purity.
However - much of it has to do with marketing, and what the product is marketed as. Don’t just take it for granted that you are getting a true isolate because it’s called ‘isolate’. Look into the ingredients and calculate the whey purity as a percentage, and then compare with other products you were considering purchasing.
You may well find that a product marketed as a concentrate is in fact, gram for gram, pretty close to a product marketed as an isolate. Price should always reflect quality, but be sure to calculate purity percentage for yourself so you don’t get ripped off.
A reasonable-to-good quality whey protein concentrate of 70%+ percent purity will usually be enough for most peoples needs, but, that’s down to the individual.
You will also find many protein supplements contain a blend of the two.